Sunday, February 15, 2009
Creating the Movie: Update Two
Knowing full well that I'm being spoiled and that most authors do not get this kind of treatment from the filmmakers, I'm here to tell you that yesterday Jean-Francois sent me an update and a PDF of the movie's script, asking for my input on what he's done. However, he also told me that he had "added one story element, modified personality traits, changed and/or removed much of the dialogue, and the title itself." And he said that if I was worried this might fret me a little too much, I could always pass on reading the script.
My answer was that this is his baby now. No matter what happens to the movie, the story is still my story. The movie is a separate artistic vision and I'm keen to see how it turns out. I figure if you're not too wedded to your idea, you can get by without too much angst. If Neil Gaiman had gotten upset about the addition of Wybie in Coraline, or Rob Sawyer about new plot elements and a changed time frame in Fastforward, well, perhaps we wouldn't have seen a genuinely great movie or be anticipating what will hopefully be a very exciting television series.
I've read the script. I'm aware that it isn't necessarily the final draft, but I will note that I'm pleased with what I've read. The title, which I won't reveal just yet, has a potential problem, which I've mentioned to Jean-Francois, but at the same time it isn't a bad title, and perhaps makes sense in a less... punnish fashion. And there are some minor issues in the script that I think can easily be fixed.
But it's still a moving story, and best of all, he retains the personal touches that made this (and here's a big reveal) a love letter to my wife. And for that I'm grateful.
He's also mentioned that a storyboard has been done, and I'm hopeful I'll be able to see scans of that, and perhaps even share a frame or two with you all. The script takes some of its imagery into orbit, which is something the story didn't do, as it was all from the POV of Jackie. I like his descriptions of what we see in space; it adds some excellent tension, even for those familiar with the story.
Hopefully I'll soon be able to tell you more. In the meantime, rest assured that it still looks good.
My answer was that this is his baby now. No matter what happens to the movie, the story is still my story. The movie is a separate artistic vision and I'm keen to see how it turns out. I figure if you're not too wedded to your idea, you can get by without too much angst. If Neil Gaiman had gotten upset about the addition of Wybie in Coraline, or Rob Sawyer about new plot elements and a changed time frame in Fastforward, well, perhaps we wouldn't have seen a genuinely great movie or be anticipating what will hopefully be a very exciting television series.
I've read the script. I'm aware that it isn't necessarily the final draft, but I will note that I'm pleased with what I've read. The title, which I won't reveal just yet, has a potential problem, which I've mentioned to Jean-Francois, but at the same time it isn't a bad title, and perhaps makes sense in a less... punnish fashion. And there are some minor issues in the script that I think can easily be fixed.
But it's still a moving story, and best of all, he retains the personal touches that made this (and here's a big reveal) a love letter to my wife. And for that I'm grateful.
He's also mentioned that a storyboard has been done, and I'm hopeful I'll be able to see scans of that, and perhaps even share a frame or two with you all. The script takes some of its imagery into orbit, which is something the story didn't do, as it was all from the POV of Jackie. I like his descriptions of what we see in space; it adds some excellent tension, even for those familiar with the story.
Hopefully I'll soon be able to tell you more. In the meantime, rest assured that it still looks good.
// posted by Derryl Murphy @ 7:06 PM 
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