How necessary is a screenplay for your type of production?
A screenplay isn’t really necessary for my project because the dialogue isn’t a big part of the short film. It is more focused on using camerawork and sounds to create the vibes of the story rather than the dialogue. Since the actions, camerawork and other specs can be displayed through a storyboard, the storyboard is much more essential than the screenplay.
At one point in planning the project, I even considered not adding any dialogue since the only thing I had ideas for was the action and I didn’t really know where to add the dialogue. But after thinking for a while, I found that the dialogue can add more emotions and information about the character which is why in the end, there’s still some dialogue in the screenplay.
Are you focusing more on dialogue or on plotting the action?
I am more focused on plotting the action. The action and its order are much more crucial to the story since there is little dialogue. The dialogue can be improvised however, the actions are very important for the overall story as well as the transitions between scenes.
I even started building the story from particular locations and actions that I felt would match the location. Adding dialogue was quite a challenge for me because it might ruin the story that I’m trying to build and can even not match the genre that I am aiming for. Unlike the actions, I had to edit and think about the dialogue a lot more. Since I still don’t have a clear idea of how and what to add to the dialogue to help with the overall story.
But after a while, I think I have figured out what I want to add to the dialogue and how it will help in conveying the overall meaning of the film.
Do you already know which actors will be performing?
I knew from the start that I would be performing in my project. The film is based a lot on my own experiences and it would be hard for me to describe the character to others since the film itself is trying to describe the character. I also don’t trust that anyone would be able to display the emotions that I am aiming for which is why I would be acting in my own short film.
I understand the character the most and I know what kind of performance that I am aiming for in the short film. Since I am also confident in my acting skills, I think that it would be better for me to perform rather than having someone else step in and not perform how I want and expect. Furthermore, the actions are the main part of the story and are what's building the overall meaning, so it is crucial that it is performed perfectly or else I won't be able to display all of my intentions through the film.
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