The life of any writer is quite obviously
a difficult one, but the life
of a screenwriter has grown to be what some would call an impossible
one. With a constantly growing film industry a well written and
original screenplay has become quite a commodity. Yet being well written
and original does not always assure that the screenplay will be read
and
given a greenlight by a prodution team in Hollywood or elsewhere. The
screenwriting process has become an art form, not only in what appears
upon the pages, but what goes into having what appears on those pages
read by someone in a position of importance.
Film students and/or writers across the
country will be quick to tell
you about the screenplay that they have been working on for the past
few years of their lives, speaking of it as if it were something more
than
words on paper. Yet as the odds of these screenplays being produced
grows exponentially, more of them find their way to the bottom of dusty
drawers than to the top of the pile on some producer's desk.
What this issue of The Projector sets out to do is to prevent
well-written screenplays from finding their way to bottoms of dusty
drawers. By providing a place for screenplays to be read objectively,
by peers and elders alike, it is hoped that these screenplays will receive
both constructive criticism as well as a chance to take the ideas
presented to the next level of the creative process. The following five
excerpts of student written screenplays at BGSU are all unique and
ambitious in their own separate ways. The only thing that I ask of the
reader is that each piece be read carefully and with an open mind. And
also with the knowledge that each author has spent limitless time and
emotion in developing each scene and line of dialogue.
Ryan Kerr - Editor:
Apples
and Love
by Michael Benning:
Set against the backdrop of a dog attack, this is the story of Joanne
and Graham, high school sweethearts that were broken apart by a third
party. Much of the story is told through symbolism and metaphor, and
will cause you to never think about apples, or dogs, the same way
again.
Weeds
by Bradford Christian:
In this short scene we see two characters developed effectively in a
very short period of time. Within a couple of pages the scene's main
characters come alive through strong dialogue and building tension.
Set
in an upscale bar, the scene is an interaction between a waiter and
his
patron. The unlikely result of this interaction provides the interest
in
the piece.
Nowhere
Until Now by Jason Buckley and Brian Steele:
The only full screenplay to appear in this issue is, at first glance,
a
classic adolescent love story. As the story develops we can see that
the
apparently innocent youth, Yigil, has a major tragic flaw, beyond the
goldfish named Cobb which he carries around in his pocket. Yigil's love
for Adriana, the "most beautiful girl in school," reveals
not only the
hopeless romantic in Yigil, but also the delusions that have driven
his
life thus far.
Tedium
of a Pessimist by
Ryan Kerr:
A story told mainly through imagery, this excerpt follows the last days
in the life of Edward Coupland, a broken man whose continual attempts
to
live outside himself result in his eventual demise. This short scene
attempts to reveal the desperation that has now taken hold of Edward's
life and his inability to find an outlet for escape.
