The film I am working on now...I always thought I knew how it was supposed to end. I thought I knew what the climax was, until I realized those scenes were really falling action, and half way through the outline made a big unexpected change to create a new and more shocking, and much more depressing climax.

I realized very early on exactly what the final scene would be, though. I knew I had to kill off my protagonist in the final shot. It was a decision I was very uncomfortable with at first, but it seemed like the most natural way to end it.

And once I knew that, I was able to create a wonderful discourse on death and happiness. As a result, none of my main characters became safe. And now, because of the time travel element, each of them dies twice. And it is all this death that horrifies my protagonist, and make him terrified of dying. So the film eventually becomes about him learning to accept death just in time for him to die himself in peace.

It's heavy stuff, and death really scares me... They say write what scares you, and I am doing just that. But really, I never would have been able to make the film work without clearly knowing its end...because once I knew it, I could lay the tracks that my characters would follow to get there.

Scott, do you agree that it is good to take risks like this? And if so, where does it become too risky?

Forgive the double posting. Made a mistake on that last one. Anyway..

P.S. That T.S. Elliot quote fits my screenplay so perfectly that I am impelled to quote it over black at the beginning of the film. Or better yet, at the END of the film.

So right. When writing a movie script it is essential to know how the story will end.

I used to just dive in and write and see were the story took me when I had an idea. This always ended in a crash.

Kurt Brown is probably right, but if I had to choose...


nobody but you
Charles Bukowski

nobody can save you but
yourself.
you will be put again and again
into nearly impossible
situations.
they will attempt again and again
through subterfuge, guise and
force
to make you submit, quit and/or die quietly
inside.

nobody can save you but
yourself
and it will be easy enough to fail
so very easily
but don't, don't, don't.
just watch them.
listen to them.
do you want to be like that?
a faceless, mindless, heartless
being?
do you want to experience
death before death?

nobody can save you but
yourself
and you're worth saving.
it's a war not easily won
but if anything is worth winning then
this is it.
think about it.
think about saving your self.
your spiritual self.
your gut self.
your singing magical self and
your beautiful self.
save it.
don't join the dead-in-spirit.
maintain your self
with humor and grace
and finally
if necessary
wager your life as you struggle,
damn the odds, damn
the price.
only you can save your
self.

do it! do it!

then you'll know exactly what
I am talking about.

~Charles Bukowski