Are You Afraid? (work notes) I am in the process of reading my new re write and polish job, entitled: "Are You Afraid?". I am undecided on how I am going to do this, right now. I might re outline it and write it from the notes, or just do it from the original, changing things on the fly. As I read over it, I am happy to say that this project looks easier than my last ("Paradise City"), simply because as I read over it, I have noticed that I have already made notes on this script from reading it over previously. Those notes are helpful, but I still have some re writing and re working to do here, but unlike "Paradise City", I don't see too much in the way of a major overhaul being necessary. This script, like "Paradise City, was originally written by me in 1989. Before I had even thought of re working this script seriously, I had envisioned combining it with the sequel I had written to this script. But, as I re read this project, it isn't as thin as I remembered it being and it'll be fine as a script practically the way it is. --------------------- April 26, 2000 11:23 P.M. EST. Things are moving along on this project, not at a fast pace, but moving forward nevertheless. I had originally thought that there wouldn't be a need for a big rewrite, but I am starting to see that this won't be the case. As I am working on this rewrite I have noticed that there is a lot of silliness that I must eliminate. After originally finishing this and it's proposed sequel in 1989 -90, I thought I would have to combine the two to make one whole script, as previously stated. First I thought I wouldn't have to do that, but now it seems a strong possibility again. I hope to avoid this, (because I really want to make this a two parter) by fleshing out some characterization and adding some more twists. But, if that fails, I can now envision myself scrapping this re write and starting it again with the focus on combining both scripts. The reason I am reluctant to do away with having two scripts here, is that I feel the second (the sequel) is a stronger script. But, that's just because I had already written the harder of the two, the one I'm working on now, where everything has to be set up and explained. The sequel takes off from where the prequel (the one I'm working on now) ended and expanded on everything ten fold. I hope all of this isn't confusing to anyone. --------------------- May 20, 2000 8:46 A.M. EST. It's been awhile since my last update on this script. As it stands now, all of that talk of combining this with it's proposed sequel is all out of the window. Even though, I haven't really been working on this as much as I would like to lately, (I'm in the running for a writing assignment) I have cleared things up enough with this script to see that I can make it into a viable script with the ingredients I already have. If I have to, I can add something else to the beginning to flush out the length of the script, if it comes out less than 100 pages when it is completed. I'll probably get back into the swing of re writing this script on Monday, after I find out if I have gotten the writing assignment or not. More later. --------------------July 1, 2000. 1:11 P.M. EST. I am getting precariously close to finishing this draft and having it put into it's proper screenplay form. I do foresee having to add a few pages to the beginning of this script to reach my proposed 100 plus pages. I just have a personal problem writing a script that doesn't reach triple digits, (unless of course, it's a short). Anyway, I am pretty happy with the way things are turning out with this project. With that said, I do have a slight problem with the ending I previously had worked out for this script, so I might take a couple of days to try and re work the ending before preceding. On a slightly personal note, last night I just saw the "Blair Witch Project", for the first time, ( I know, where have I been) but it struck me that films of that type, although effectively scary, are doing a disservice to the well thought out horror scripts, that I envision myself writing. Not that I have anything against the originality involved in it (even though it's a rip off of "The Last Broadcast"), it's just that I feel it's going to start a trend that will take away from the actual writing of a horror script. --------------------July 17, 2000 11:15 P.M. EST. Finally! I've finished the draft, and now it's time to start putting it into it's proper screenplay format. I can't believe how long it took me to come up with a suitable ending for the changes that I had made to my original draft. I still need to add approximately five pages to the script to reach my desired triple digits screenplay length. I was going to add something to the beginning of the script to achieve the extra five pages that I think that I will need, but I can do that without adding anything more than just a few lines of dialogue to a couple of scenes. Plus I will re add a few scenes that had shown how and where things had gotten started. At first I wasn't going to have that in the script, but as I have said, I am trying to make sure I achieve 100 plus pages and every little word will help. -------------------July 30, 2000 5:16 P.M. EST. I've been working on getting the script in it's proper format for the last couple of days, and things are going pretty well. I have completed 43 pages so far. Typing up a screenplay, when I first started seemed like a chore, but now I am getting into the swing of things and all though I'm not a fan of typing I have gotten pretty good at it. Anyway, I was very concerned that I wouldn't reach 100 pages when I started this script, but as it stands now, I can see myself reaching it without unnecessarily padding the script. Which is good, because I need to keep this script as tight as possible. I'm pretty happy the way things are turning out with this script, it's pretty scary (I think), and not campy in the least. It's not so much a horror film any more, it appears to be turning into a good old fashioned monster movie, highly reminiscent of, "The Thing", not the John Carpenter version, but the 1950's version. Or maybe something a little more contemporary, like "Tremors", without all the comedy of course. --------------------August 7, 2000 6:50 P.M. EST. I didn't mean to do it, but I took off approximately a month and a half on completing this screenplay. At first, it was just because of laziness on my part, but then other things took over. As of tonight I have begun anew on my mission to finish this screenplay. More later. -------------------September 24, 2000 2:54 A.M. EST. It's pretty hard trying to keep a horror script plausible. Especially when everything you do is make believe, but you have to keep your audience believing in what they are seeing. With that said, I'm pretty close to getting this particular horror script ready for other eyes to see. One of my main problems with the believable aspect of this script is keeping every thing together so that I can end things properly. The second half of this script takes place mostly in a house, and I had to do my best to keep everything in the house. I had to resort to babies, flooding, heavy storms and just plain ignorance to keep everything in the house. And I believe that I was able to accomplish just that. I was also worried about my page count on this script, I can foresee it reaching 100 plus pages (my original goal) and I didn't have to resort to any padding out gimmicks. Which I probably am unable to do anyway, this might just sound like screenwriter talk, but I don't think I write too many, if any unnecessary words in my scripts. -------------------- September 30, 2000 4:40 P.M. EST. The script is finished and I will let it sit for a few days before proofing it once myself, and then by some one else. This won't stop me, however from putting up the synopsis and preparing a Dream Casting Call for it. Which should prove interesting because I have given it no thought what so ever. I think the script is pretty tight, at a svelte 102 pages (far and away my shortest feature length script). -------------------- October 4, 2000 6:56 P.M. EST.