Archive | Rocketboy RSS feed for this section
Rocketboy Draft Four is complete… and the feedback…

Rocketboy Draft Four is complete… and the feedback…

Well, we did get it down from 145 pages to 127 pages. But by that time, Judy and I had gotten ourselves so lost in the ‘wood for trees’ that we needed fresh eyes on the script. It was time for some feedback on ‘Rocketboy’. The script was sent off to about six close and [...]

Read full story Comments { 1 }
Meet Wilbur The Wallaby, one of the new characters in 'Rocketboy'

Meet Wilbur The Wallaby, one of the new characters in 'Rocketboy'

Yep that's Wilbur. More on him at the end of the post. Big news for us though. It’s time for us to make a change. For years now our email user group has been growing and it's time to move to a new home, to a shiny email system which delivers a much better service [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }
‘Inception’, a screenwriters masterclass

‘Inception’, a screenwriters masterclass

I finally caught up with Chris Nolans ‘Inception’ last night and I am still reeling from the experience. Every five years or so a film comes along that raises the bar, reminding me that good is not good enough, great is just about passable, and world class is really what I need to be aiming [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }
Cutting Dialogue from your screenplay, a masterclass in minimalism for Screenwriters

Cutting Dialogue from your screenplay, a masterclass in minimalism for Screenwriters

As I have been rewriting Rocketboy, I have also been re-reading some of my favourite screenwriting books. I have been looking for tips, tricks, insights and wisdom on the screenwriting concept that writing is rewriting. But it’s also about being tough in those rewrites. Killing your darlings. There are a few very good books on [...]

Read full story Comments { 0 }
Day three of the Rocketboy redraft and things are going very well

Day three of the Rocketboy redraft and things are going very well

Judy and I have quickly found a routine that works efficiently where we read a chunk, discuss changes at length, spitball new ideas, plan and re-structure, then Judy writes. As Judy is such a terrific writer, this is usually the fastest part. But it does give me the  chance to do a few chores before [...]

Read full story Comments { 1 }
Writing is re-writing… Rocketboy is dusted off and prepped for relaunch!

Writing is re-writing… Rocketboy is dusted off and prepped for relaunch!

To me, it’s amazing just how hard writing can be. It looks so simple. When written well, a good movie flows so effortlessly. It looks so simple that most people, who have never written a script, think that it can’t be that hard… ‘why all the madness, complaining, ranting, late nights, early mornings, compulsive behaviour, [...]

Read full story Comments { 5 }
Know Your Audience…

Know Your Audience…

When I am watching a movie that is brilliantly written, it leaves me kind of breathless. Because I know just how much hard work goes into writing a screenplay that breezes along effortlessly, with no friction, without a single scrap of waste, simultaneously surprising and obvious at each turn (‘how is he going to get [...]

Read full story Comments { 3 }
Six weeks away and Cannes fever kicks in!

Six weeks away and Cannes fever kicks in!

I am just organising my pass for the Cannes Film Market / Festival right now. This year I am going in through the Short film Corner, which is basically a way to ‘buy’ your way in very cheaply (75 euros). All you need to do is sign up, pay, and send your film in. You [...]

Read full story Comments are closed
Final DVD – death and resurrection!

Final DVD – death and resurrection!

I had just about mastered the final DVD’s for Gone Fishing, in both PAL and NTSC, with both Dolby Digital and DTS sound, with perfect picture (even the NTSC thanks to a great system trascoder called Canopus Procoder 3)… And then I got the dreaded email. We had missed a person off the credits. And [...]

Read full story Comments are closed
The mountain lies ahead and my feet feel heavy…

The mountain lies ahead and my feet feel heavy…

With dread in my heart, I approach now, the writing of the next project… And I take the first step… While I can write, I find it very hard. Much harder than I think many other writers do. I find it extremely draining, emotionally and physically. And there is a maximum of about three to [...]

Read full story Comments are closed
Rocketboy redraft in the Rockies

Rocketboy redraft in the Rockies

Having just completed the Masterclass in Vancouver, I decided to head up to the hills (Rocky Mountains actually, and nothing like a hill) and rest before starting work on my redraft of Rocketboy – with a view to possibly resetting the film in North America. My redraft is the second part of the ‘Gone Fishing’ [...]

Read full story Comments are closed
Guerilla Film Maker in Vancouver

Guerilla Film Maker in Vancouver

I flew into Vancouver, BC, Canada a few days ago, with a dual remit. First off, I am running my two day Guerilla Film Makers Masterclass here at a film makers conference called FTX West. Second, I am location scouting for Rocketboy and plan to spend a week looking for amazing places to shoot the [...]

Read full story Comments are closed
Producer Ivan Clemmenst AFM report 2

Producer Ivan Clemmenst AFM report 2

Here is the second and final part of Ivan Clemments report from the American Film Market… I like the picture here, it’s Ivan, a producer (left), being a grip! (from Gone Fishing). I'm now back at LAX waiting for my flight and half rack of ribs to stuff my fat face with if I have [...]

Read full story Comments are closed
Producer Ivan is at the American Film Market

Producer Ivan is at the American Film Market

Gone Fishing is still coming along well, but now I must turn my attentions to the BIG project, on eof the main reasons Gone Fishing was made. That is Rocketboy. Producer Ivan Clemments is now at the American Film Market working with a friend of mine, who for political reasons, has to remain anonymous. We [...]

Read full story Comments are closed
Rocketboy rewrite begins

Rocketboy rewrite begins

I am working on the screenplay for Rocketboy today, and going over my notes from the reading last weekend. Two further things have since struck me. I can’t express just how valuable it was to hear my dialogue read out loud. It really does take on a new life – on the page and in [...]

Read full story Comments are closed