Fire + Escape

[echomusic]

This is a script I wrote for a contest last year.

The contest gave you a genre and then a subject and you had one week to write a script based on those criteria.

My genre was ‘romantic comedy’ and the topic was ‘a fire escape’.

I chose to go the Aaron Sorkin romcom route and didn’t use an actual fire escape.
And then a few months later, we filmed it.

It is interesting looking at what was written and what was cut from the shooting of it because in the end, it just wasn’t necessary. Learned a lot that day from directing in it. And acting in it. And catering it.

Sadly, the film will never be seen. Probably for the best, one of the leads was awful…coughcoughmecoughcough…so anyways…here is ‘Fire + Escape’


www.mediafire.com/?qnowmyruycm

[tous]

The contest gave you a genre and then a subject and you had one week to write a script based on those criteria.

My genre was ‘romantic comedy’ and the topic was ‘a fire escape’.

It's those limits and boundaries that really give you so much freedom. I was very impressed. I would really like to see some of how the Dialogue played out, especially the scenes with Matt and Sarah- they were spot-on. I'm wondering if that was improvised and you happen to write it down? Or - from what you've said I'd really love to see how much more there was that made it onto the film. SO i'd really love to see it and you acting in it haha.

How did you think of this idea- what was the process like? The filming, choices you've made. I know I've played it where the cards are stuck to your forward--- but I like the back idea, that way it lasts the whole night and u can still dance and move without it falling- So Are there any more contests like this you've been part of that you'd like to share? I'm very interested.

Thanks for sharing!

[echomusic]

May 1, 2010 12:23:03 GMT -5 tous said:

The contest gave you a genre and then a subject and you had one week to write a script based on those criteria.

My genre was ‘romantic comedy’ and the topic was ‘a fire escape’.

It's those limits and boundaries that really give you so much freedom. I was very impressed. I would really like to see some of how the Dialogue played out, especially the scenes with Matt and Sarah- they were spot-on. I'm wondering if that was improvised and you happen to write it down? Or - from what you've said I'd really love to see how much more there was that made it onto the film. SO i'd really love to see it and you acting in it haha.

How did you think of this idea- what was the process like? The filming, choices you've made. I know I've played it where the cards are stuck to your forward--- but I like the back idea, that way it lasts the whole night and u can still dance and move without it falling- So Are there any more contests like this you've been part of that you'd like to share? I'm very interested.

Thanks for sharing!

All of the dialogue you read was written, none of it improvised, and the actors were really great about staying true to it. There were a couple of dialogue changes, but nothing too major. I regret that one of my favorite jokes in the piece -- the food court line -- nobody really seems to get, and that is just poor placement on my part, I guess.

Also, we had to adjust to the apartment we were shooting in. So some lines were changed around and we also had weather to deal with -- it was overcast so we didn't get that sunset I wanted but it looked beautiful nonetheless.

Stuff that was cut? The whole scene of Matt walking down the hall and walking out on to the terrace. It's cute -- but ultimately not necessary. I was really determined to get it until the camera man asked the ultimate question 'What does it add to the story' Toughest lesson I learned that day -- not everything one writes is golden.

Not quite sure how I thought of the idea. It was one of those things that as soon as I read the genre and topic I knew what I didn't want to do -- I think I had been at a party a few months earlier that had that game and it just clicked.

That about it. haven't really written in any more contests - just been focusing on the 8 or 9 scripts I have circling in the water.

[lazzard]

First off - great dialogue, you got that down really well and I felt I knew the characters by the end - no mean feat for a short.

For my money I think you could have gone for a bigger twist at the end.
It's a great idea, great set-up ( LOVE the top and tail VO - that really made it feel like a little mini movie.)
I just think you could have done something cleverer with the words on their back - even twisted it so that they were opposites eg Chalk & Cheese (don't know if that's a US expression?) - you know, fate doesn't always work out the way you think, sort of thing - instead of using that point to shoe-horn the competition 'mandatory' in.
That reveal really needs to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
Just my humble, as they say.
Overall I thought it was beautifully crafted - a real pro job.
Just think it has the potential to go that little bit further.

[glengarry]

File's gone... is this one over? Was this just the script or the film too? Looked like you weren't gonna post the film in your initial post. Can't bring it up and not show it! C'Mon!

[echomusic]

Sorry, I did an initial clean out of my mediafire files and the Fire + Escape script got caught up in the sweep.

The movie won't be posted. The film is dead and locked up in a vault at Skywalker Ranch (ok, that last part is not true ) but it is not something I feel comfortable showing due to the extranious amounts of midget nudity (once again, part of that statement is not true )