Be The Power
by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
I found myself with some time today, so I finished the movie treatment I’ve been working on. Now to sit down and write a much more detailed novella using the treatment as a basis. Then, I will work on a screenplay. But I really enjoy the process of creation itself and so things, at least for the time being, are kinda humming along.
We’ll see how long it lasts.
by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
I continue to creatively cool my heels while I wait to by a professional camera and as I do so, I’m developing a screenplay. The screenplay is supposed to be, at least, prism for the Trump Era. That’s, at least, my goal. I like the idea of what if humanity was forced to do the exact opposite of what it seems to be compelled to do now, which is to reject all forms of global unity.
Anyway, I really need to shut up and write. I’m going to try to do just that this afternoon. I’m going to try to write something, anything that moves the screenplay forward. I have to put in the work. I can’t just dilly-dally and talk about how could it would be to do this, I have to actually, well, do it. That’s the tough part.
But we’ll see, I guess.
by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
It’s interesting how the more I think about it, the more this screenplay I’m developing is about, in real terms, immigration in the Trump era. Humanity — and specifically the United States — is given the greatest opportunity in human history and the screenplay asks out loud if because of political dysfunction if anyone would be willing or able to take advantage of it.
At least, that’s my vision of the concept. I see my efforts as a stepping off point. If I’m able to finish something, anything, I can pitch it to others who might be able to make it better. I’m sure I’m going about this all wrong, but, then, I never do anything right.
The key is, of course, to simply finish something, anything, instead of screwing around and daydreaming. I have produce “paper” as they call it so I can prove that I’m actually serious about all of this. But the process itself is fun. A lot of fun. And I believe I’ve come up with a really, really unique take on the First Contact cliche. But only time will tell. Maybe I’ll grow bored of this like I have everything else.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
The more I think about it, the more I realize the vibe I want for this possible screenplay I’m sketching out is a scifi Trump era Network. I want to at least attempt to write a story that sort of soaks up the national zeitgeist and spits it out in an intelligent manner.
Network is a brilliant film for numerous reasons. I guess I’m frustrated that Hollywood hasn’t begun to pump out movies like Network about the Trump Era and I am kind of absent mindedly writing one of my own just because the concept is so strong and interesting that I’m entertaining myself thinking up all kinds of different insane things that might happen given the scenario I’ve cooked up.
I like the idea that one man ostensibly average guy would be, through no fault of his own, put in an extraordinary situation where he was forced to decide the fate of the entire world. I have been dwelling on this scenario for years, but hadn’t figured out a plot until recently.
But the issue is I have to put the work in. I can talk about this all I want to, but if I don’t put the work in this is just mental masturbation. It’s fun to sketch things out.
by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
Writing a screenplay is a bucketlist kind of thing for me, but I’m going to wait until I’ve finished it as a short story or a novella before I buy Final Draft and start working on it seriously. I have a novel concept, too, I’m interested in writing, but really it’s buying a camera and being a professional photographer that I am really working towards. Everything else is just because I idly am creative without thinking about it.
Regardless, below is a meandering video of me talking about a screenplay I’m interested in writing. The screenplay’s high concept would be something like Contact meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind meets Stranger in a Strange Land meets The Last Star Fighter. Something like that. I really need to shut up and start writing, but daydreaming about doing it is so much fun.
by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
I finally have down pat the high-concept I am interested in exploring with a possible screenplay: Contact meets Close Encounters of The Third Kind meets Stranger in a Strange Land. That’s the general idea, at least. I am going to do some more mulling today about the specifics, but I am lurching close to being able to actually sit down and write something. We’ll see.
by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
I went for a walk and realized something. I have been struggling with the conflict of this story and I think maybe, just maybe, I have it. The high-concept of this script would be Contact meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind meets Stranger in a Strange Land.
The conflict comes from the consequences of our hero being put in an extraordinary situation. I really like the idea of just a regular person being put in extraordinary circumstances and this script, should I ever write it, would be very much in that style. Our Hero is forced to make some enormous decisions for billions of people and the story is about what happens next.
I’m quite content with that, now I just have to write the damn script. I really need help with the plot, but no one will help me. But it’s still fun to explore this. As I keep saying, what I really need to do is buy a professional digital camera. That’s something that can change my life for the better.
by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
I really enjoy at least attempting to write a screenplay because of its innately collaborative nature. The below video is me talking about that some. I’m struggling to write out a concept that might turn into a screenplay, but it will be months before anything comes of it for various reasons.
by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
As I keep saying, buying a professional digital camera is at the forefront of my mind right now. But I definitely have an interesting concept for a science fiction movie. The screenplay would be a novel approach the concept of First Contact.
But there is much to mull, much to struggle with. I am perfectly horrible with plots and it could take me a while to the point where I’m able to not only write the screenplay but buy Final Draft so I can properly format it. The whole point is to give me something to believe in, something to hope for. I don’t live in LA, so it would be an enormous long-shot even if I wrote a really good screenplay with a strong concept.
Yet, whatever. I really enjoy daydreaming and I have a way of telling stories without even realizing I’m doing it. So, if I’m lucky, I’ll write something pretty much on autopilot. Not to say it won’t be a struggle to write something, it will. But it should be a lot of fun, also.
by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
For years, I’ve been fascinated by First Contact. I’ve dwell deeply and at great length about how one might not only move huge numbers of humans off the planet but how you would organize that group of humans once you did. It’s something of an impossible scenario.
There just is so much to weigh in your mind. I have struggled to figure out how you might unite humanity if you worked on the assumption that — essentially — all human life is valued equally regardless of where you’re from. This is significantly more difficult to figure out than you might think.
Anyway, I may have figured out a strong enough concept to move forward with it. The movie would written with the expectation that it would be a tent-pole summer blockbuster but with smarts and a heart. I like screenplays as an art form because they’re collaborative and as the screenwriter all you have to do is give some guidance to the director as to what is supposed to happen. But, as I keep saying, I am saving my money for a professional camera so it will probably be later this year before I can afford to buy Final Draft so I can actually begin writing the screenplay.
In the meantime, I may sketch the concept out as a short story or novella or even a novel. I guess I want to prove to myself that I’m not only serious about this concept but that it’s strong enough that it’s worth attempting to be serious about in the first place. The camera is the most important thing to buy in the near term because it has a practical way of being able to change my life.
But I’m generally a creative person and I love to tell stories. And just recently I found myself figuring out the outlines of a plot for this concept I’ve been mulling for years. So, we’ll see. Maybe nothing will come of this. I might get bored and move on to the next thing, but if it holds up, I may very well start writing a screenplay about First Contact soon.
The movie concept I have in my head has elements of Contact, Close Encounters of The Third Kind and….in some ways it’s so unique it defies comparison. I’m coming at this problem in a really rather unconventional manner. I find telling stories relaxing just in general, so I may wake up and discover I’ve written a screenplay without realizing.
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