The Big Pitch ::   So, as mentioned below we decided on a unique approach to our movie about a man with multiple personalities. Three personalities. Three Writer/Directors. Three unique styles and visions. This is all good and well in theory, but how the blo... View page for full story

The art of writing a fractured personality....or how to make a first draft even more difficult!

Posted 19/11/2008 at 00:07 by David | View all posts

So, as mentioned below we decided on a unique approach to our movie about a man with multiple personalities. Three personalities. Three Writer/Directors. Three unique styles and visions. This is all good and well in theory, but how the bloody hell do you write it?

Well, we settled on a pretty unconventional, some might say suicidal method to writing our first draft.  We wrote it in isolation from one another. By this I mean myself, Keith and Brad had little or no idea as to what was happening in each other’s story lines. Having created our basis for the three personalities together, we were then given free rein to colour our particular shade of Graham as we saw fit. Gray, Graham and G have no idea what goes on in each others lives except for messages they leave for one another on a Dictaphone. We applied this to our writing technique in the following way: I might be writing G to start with, then when I got to a point of my choosing in my story I would stop. I would then flip a coin to decide who to pass the writing duties to next. I would not give them what I had written so far. All they would receive from me would be a brief description of where the character is when they switch in, what they are wearing, what time of day it is, who else is the in the room and what sort of condition they are in. I would also give them the Dictaphone messages that G had left for the other personalities.

Now, of course the first draft was a bit of crazy and there were countless continuity problems. But, what we got from it were some fantastic moments and story arcs that formed the backbone to our current draft. It really allowed us to capture the confusion and difficulties of multiple personality disorder albeit in very extreme situations!

So that’s how we went about writing the film. More to come about how we’re actually going to tell the story on the big screen…..or little screen….hell an ipod would still be sweet….

I wonder is anyone actually reading these blogs other than us Big Pitch guys?….maybe if someone commented we’d know (wink wink nudge nudge elbow elbow headbutt headbutt)

Your friendly neighbourhood Dave.

Comments

• We're still alive... and oh, by the way, WE WON!
• VOTING OPEN NOW!
• The art of writing a fractured personality....or how to make a first draft even more difficult!
• A little more about our film...
• The rock and roll lifestyle of a budding filmmaker...
• What do you mean finally? Im finally!
• And finally, checking in...
• I curse my mother since the day I escaped her wretched womb...
• And so begins our ramblings...
• An introduction to the team behind Different Shades of Graham