I always knew that the movie was never the same as the book. I don’t think I ever realized, however, that the movie could also differ from the script. But that’s what I learned today.
I spent the day reading. I started with the guidelines posted on the NYC Midnight Screenwriting Challenge page. This turned out to be an excellent resource. It covered all the big questions I had regarding formatting and restrictions to text. It also turned out to be very helpful with getting into the mindset of a screenwriter specifically.
After getting a decent grip on how a screenplay actually works, I started reading some screenplays I found on IMSDb. And here was where I discovered that what ultimately ends up on the screen can differ from what was written in the script. Of course, this doesn’t have an impact on me as I go into this writing challenge. But as an avid movie watcher, I was honestly surprised at how much a story can change as it moves from script to screen. I think this realization will continue to reside in the back of my mind as I watch any movie from now on.
And that was basically it for today, just a big reading day. Tomorrow I’ll likely read a couple more screenplays, just to expose myself to various styles and such. Then I might take a stab at doing some drafts, just to get a feel for the flow of the format. And then the real fun will begin when I get my assignment at midnight NYC time (hence the name). Until then, fortune favors the prepared mind!