Watching Films for Research

I’ve always been someone who loves to watch films for research. I know there’s plenty of information out there and that I’m sure I could find everything I need to know via the internet and books, which I do use, but for me my research tends to come through films.

I love nothing more than to watch a bunch of films from the same genre when I start a new project. It’s not that my idea needs to be related in any real way, as often it’s not, it’s just the genre itself that I’m interested in.

I’m a big fan of conventions in films, especially horror movies. I like to fit a lot of the conventions into my script if I can find a natural way to do it and like seeing how others have. What I like seeing even more is where these conventions started.

Last time I wrote a slasher script I binge watched all the Friday 13th films and Nightmare on Elm Street, along with about 20 others. There was a line from Friday the 13th Part Four that I loved and somewhat adapted for myself but other than that what I really wanted to take from these movies was the general vibe.

I wanted to capture the attitude of these movies in my own way.

I wrote a Christmas horror script that I’m looking to get out there soon so beforehand I watched every Christmas horror film I could. I was mostly interested in the Christmasy way people died in the films and was slightly disappointed that there weren’t as many inventive deaths as I hoped. But there was beginnings, hints off, maybe the more modern Christmas films had them but there was enough there to inspire me.

That particular set of watching also led me to watch possibly the worse movie I’ve ever seen in my life. Silent Night, Deadly Night 2. What happened there? I need the disaster artist book for that film.

During my exploitation script I watched a ton of Russ Meyer, Jack Hill and Lloyd Kaufman stuff along with a bunch of Grindhouse movies. My script wasn’t really akin to any of these, I just wanted to be in that frame of mind when I was writing.

For me film is my language. I can never get through a conversation without a film quote, I always reference films in my script notes and workings. I haven’t written decapitated in a script note ever, I write decaffeinated every time thanks to Hot Fuzz. If I’m describing a shot to a friend I’ll use examples from as many different films as I can until I hit on one they know.

I’m not sure if it’s a good process or not to watch similar genre movies to your idea before starting a new script but I’ve never read my script back at the end and find it to be a clone of the others I’ve watched. I’m inspired by movies in every other area of my life so it makes sense to me that the same would work for my writing.

For the new script I’m working on I’m watching a bunch of Hitchcock films. This time round I’m watching them for the way he builds tension in the final act rather than the story (although I love these films so will enjoy that part anyway). There’s always something to get from watching films in relationship to your own work and I fully believe that.

Stephen

Writing Struggles

I’ve never really been one for writers block, mostly because I have way way way to many projects on the go at all times. But every now and then I do stop writing for a brief period of time. It isn’t through lack of ideas, but more a burnout, or struggle of motivation. I let things get a little on top of me and just struggle to write for a bit. Normally this lasts a few days, sometimes a week or two, but it always passes as writing is everything to me and something that i’m always eager to get back too. But as they say, you can’t force it.

It’s the not forcing it bit that i’ve struggled most with over the years because I always do try and force it, and what that tends to lead to is work that isn’t up to the quality I expect of myself. This in turn obviously gets me down more. Vicious circle. One i’ve fallen for more times then I care to admit.

So whats the answer…

Sometimes i’ve tried starting a new project, like a short script or something, but if the quality is still low then that could make a good idea seem bad. Again thats not really ideal. I often think writing myself out of one of these patches should help but in truth it doesn’t. I think taking a brief break from writing with maybe just working on some notes or something is probably a wiser idea. Although i’d always prefer not to have to do this, sometimes its the only way.

The thing i’ve tried this time is just to accept that my mind isn’t going to be able to write at the moment so just to enjoy some films and TV shows. Read up on some stuff and watch editing tutorials. Basically do everything except the writing so the i’m not wasting the time in anyway. Keep myself in the basic area of what i’m trying to do so that when my mood clicks back into place i’m already in the right space. That’s the theory behind it anyway. (My theory that is, maybe I should actually read up on it)

So i’ve spent the last 10 days watching films and shows, writing up some small notes on things that have naturally come to me rather than being forced and trying to enjoy the opportunity to catch up on some stuff i’ve missed. It’s not the perfect solution as really all I want to be doing is writing, but its something, and at the moment that seems a lot better than nothing.

Like I said, it doesn’t happen often, but it seems to me to be a part of my creative life. That these little burn outs and dips will happen. I still don’t think I deal with them well, but i’m working on it, and least I know that when it passes I will make up for the lost time, always do. Can’t stop writing, even when I have to stop writing.

Stephen.

Movie Day

Not sure what the correct name is for this but I call it movie day. Basically it means spending my whole day watching films (and normally eating junk food). In order for it to be a movie day for me it has to consist of watching at least 5 films. Anything less than that is pretty much just a normal day… for me.

So why do I want to blog about these lazy days I have where I barely get out of bed and eat to much. Well because of the films… And the fact that I think these type days are important.

If I had to guess how many of these sort of days I’ve had in my life i’d say it could well be in triple figures, probably averaging around 6 movies a time. I always joke to myself when i’m having them that i’m having a lazy day, or not doing anything today just watching films, but the other part of my brain is more interested in calling them research.

As a scriptwriter and film maker, but just as importantly someone who loves movies, I want to watch everything, from all genres, from all countries. There isn’t a movie experience that I don’t want to experience and thats why I find these days so important.

Clearly I can’t have them all the time otherwise A) I wouldn’t have a life outside of my TV B) I wouldn’t be able to spend time on my own creative stuff and C) it would probably just be watching for watching sake rather than taking in as much as possible. But I do like to have them every now and then. Maybe once a month as a minimum although have I drastically exceeded that a few times during lulls.

I believe as a Scriptwriter/Film Maker that watching films is essential. I’ve been to film classes where people there haven’t seen Godfather or Citizen Kane and am dumbfounded by it. I don’t understand how people don’t want to watch all the classics and experience cinema round the whole world and thats what these type of days are for me. A chance to catch up. A time to make sure i’ve seen all the important work. And also the less.

I rarely watch films i’ve seen before on these type of days and if I do its something that I don’t remember very well. Sometimes these movie days may have a bit of a theme be it genre, director, country, sometimes its a bunch of random movies that I put together as a type of movie playlist for me to go through.

Sometimes its catching up on classics or old movies that i’ve missed where other times its watching a bunch of films that I may like, hate or be bored with, Doesn’t matter. Because I want to watch everything and that doesn’t just mean 10 out of 10 rated films. It means the 1’s as well.

Anything can inspire us, the worse movie can have a seed of an idea or a concept that could have been something, or the movie could just be entertaining in a good way, or a bad way. Whatever we get from the film we always get something. I fully believe making any type of film is an achievement and therefore worth watching.

Thats why I will always allow myself these type of days and not really see it as being just lazy. It is research and entertainment at the same time. It’s spending a whole day with something I love and want a career in. Something that drives me and is a massive part of my life. I think everyone who wants to be part or the business, or already is, should enjoy these types of days every now and then.

There are so so many films out there and more come out everyday so why not enjoy as many as you can and hopefully it will help you with learning more about the craft as well as just being entertained for better or worse.

Bottom line if you love films, why not watch as many as humanly possible 🙂

Stephen.

 

I often try to live tweet my movie days at @steve5by5, for the next one I might write a short blog review of the films I saw as well.