Well, no.

The experts say you should study films before taking your own skills to the next stage and that’s exactly what I’ve done. I’ve been going to the cinema to see how the business works to its conclusion. So much has happened in getting a big movie to the screen.

I’ve also been studying short movies on Atom Films. They have a great variety with a consistent high standard. I’ve been plowing through many dramas and when time arrives, I’ll write some reviews so we can compare notes.

I’m ready to move on to the next stage now. I’m filling in the treatment so I can go on to the script.

I hope the great films I’ve seen recently has given me the inspiration I need, without giving me too many ideas about plots, characters, action and dialogue.

1. Who
2. What
3. Where
4. When
5. Why
6. How

Then I need a rough plan of what happens in the story.

Start
The middle
The ending

All stories have a three phase plan if they’re told properly, but who says you have to tell them properly? Look at any story you know. Does it have a start, a middle and an end?
Industry experts will explain their ten part plan, the 22 part plan and the 18 part plan. Many are now talking about the four part plan.

I’ll map out the possible number of scenes and start entering the first words as a guide sheet. In this ten minute film I’ll be guessing that I’ll have just a ten page script using the standard of one page equals a minute of time on the screen.

1. ACT 1 start Intro setting & introducing the hero?
Opening titles
2. What must happen here to grip attention?
3. ACT 2 middle part Describing the problem
4. Go into detail
5. What went wrong
6. Surprise
7. Serious problem
8. Something happens
9. ACT 3 final resolution
What I want to see on the screen now
10. End titles
Music choice

Once I have a few ideas here I’ll move on to ‘fleshing out’ those ten pages into a full treatment. This might only be one page long, but will be more detailed. Then my treatment will be ready; well the first draft anyway.

It’s … well of course I can’t say yet, can I? I have to wait until the treatment is ready and the script completed and I’ve registered the copyright before I can release the logline. I can’t risk someone stealing my work; after all, the logline is eleven words long.

I wrote down all the words that I thought the film would include if I wanted to write an 80 word synopsis of it. Then I started deleting any that were in there just for the fun of it. I took out those who were just plain surplus and then adjusted the rest that appeared to make two entries for the same thing. Then I started to be harsh. After all, the logline needs to be used to:

a) sell the film
b) raise the finance
c) the posters
d) the DVD
e) the television magazine reviews

So now I have eleven words and some of those may go, some may get added and some will be reviewed (polite phrase for changed) later.

Whatever way you look at it, it is an accomplishment that I’m pleased to reach. I can now start on the treatment.

Here’s what I’ll be tackling over the next few days/weeks/months. First the goals; I find it always best to have some sensible goals. Why I’m making the movie and who it’s intended for are good starters. It enables me to focus accurately.

Next, I’ll write the logline, the short elevator presentation. The one that grabs the headlines, the one that goes in big print on the front of the DVD case.

Target three is to write a general list of what’s going to happen in the movie looking at problems and how to solve them.

Four takes me to the treatment. For a short movie this will probably be just one page, but it’ll give me more detail of where it’s all going.

Five is where I’ll list the scene numbers with a description and check to see that the film has a striking start, excellent middle body and a quality finish

Subsequently, I’ll write the scenes in order, establishing what the problem is to begin with. Then the scenes will set out to solve that problem, littered sensibly with setbacks and resolutions to change and move on. There will probably be a large final problem just before the end, which will bring us to that quality finish.

I always know the end before I begin writing, but writing the end in the right order helps move substance along correctly.

Then the rewrites start. Show it to some friends and experts and the second round of rewrites begin.

It’s doing your homework, which is a responsibility and liability on the producer.

The producer needs to find the money to fund the film; this will enable him to set his budget to know if they are heading for a big budget movie with well known starring actors, whether he’s moving down the ladder slightly with actors we think we know and directors not able to list a hit movie on their CV or looking at no budget (or less) where minimum fees will be paid for everything. Or none at all. And in no particular order:

• Pre-production is the time you get your legal work sorted out
• Setting up your company
• Registering the script, the film, the music (if you need to know in advance)
• Getting your copyrights and intellectual property in line with the law
• Ensuring your contracts are correct and in place
• Beginning your chain of title
• Getting your professional team together
• Thinking long term about locations, actors, crew
• Preplanning your editing, your film stock your distribution
• And did you decide upon your movie director and your director of photography?

The more time spent in pre-production, the less hassle (and you’ll get plenty, whatever) you’ll find later.