Writing a screenplay with authenticity leads me down many roads. Yes this screenplay that I am working on is inspired by true events. First I thought, 'this will be much easier than writing the fictional thoughts that come out of my imagination.' I thought, 'I am using someone else's life experience...
Expand postWriting a screenplay with authenticity leads me down many roads. Yes this screenplay that I am working on is inspired by true events. First I thought, 'this will be much easier than writing the fictional thoughts that come out of my imagination.' I thought, 'I am using someone else's life experience and all I'll have to do is turn it into a scripted dialogue.' I am being a little facetious, but not entirely. Because I would never want to misrepresent anyone in any way or misconstrue anything in his diary I sought out to find the truth about everything in his world. I really felt the onus of being true to the main character, the writer of the diary and all those whom he wrote about.. Because he wrote his thoughts down during the American Civil War, I found myself digging for the details of life one hundred and fifty years ago. When he wrote about certain plants, that were indigenous to Europe whence he came, and, were brought to America, where he lived, I had to find the plants, verify the information, make sure he was accurate about the details himself. Feeling like I would like the film to be on location where this foliage existed and still exists, I would like to take a trip there and see the beauty that he wrote about with my own eyes. Knowing that things have changed since 1861, some small boroughs are now metropolises, I have to find the location that will be most authentic. And then there is computer-generated images that can help out with authenticity. More decisions. He wrote about music. I had to find the music and whom it was composed by. Although the music he alluded to was written by a composer in 1858, I actually found a recording of it done in 1905 on an old LP 78. I bought it from E-bay and then had to take it to a place which restores old recordings and then places them on CDs with enhanced sound etc.. When I did the research on the music I decided that I have to use some of the music that I have found in the movie. Then the question to self, 'shall I do a musical or just a feature film with musical score from the man's diary in the film?' So many choices. The mind wanders. We could make another 'sound of music', war era love story, cast actor/singers. Then, he writes about a dog, a Newfoundland. This dog was a special dog during the American Civil War . This dog is a special dog during any era. I am brought to tears during my research of the Newfoundland breed and it's history when reading Lord Byron's 'Epitaph To A dog', his dog, Boatswain, a Newfoundland. I was really touched by his poem and his love for Boatswain. Have to find a Newfoundland Actor dog for my movie. Then there is the boy from the poorhouse. What was a poorhouse? We all have heard the expression "you'll send me to the poorhouse", but , what really was it in 1862? Wow, reading about the poorhouses in America was actually a little scary and really enlightening, how our poor were treated before well-fare and AFDC and food stamps etc..Then the ugly issue of slavery, which is not the subject of this screenplay nor is the war, however, you cannot ignore what was going on around this man. Transportation was another issue. No cars. Just horses, stagecoaches, some railways and the ships that sailed from places like Stonington, Connecticut to New York. I actually realize more-so than ever how much technology has advanced our civilization in many ways , transportation, communication, and I am thankful that we do not have to contend with a lot of the hardships that they had to deal with in the 19th century, however, there are similarities such as war and hatred and such that are still prevalent and going strong here. You would think that the sacrifices that so many men made in centuries before to pave the way to a better society would have improved some of these atrocities that go on world wide today, however, there is no end in sight. The writer also expressed how perverse slavery was. Good to know that there were people who exercised their freedom of press and wrote about the wrongdoings of slavery even though at times they risked their lives to do so. His character is likable and his appreciation for life and love for his fellow man are worth making a movie about. So the research will continue to go on, the wardrobe, the stagecoach, the travelling peddler, the farmers, the young boys chest-nutting, the crazy preacher, his wife, his daughter, his brother who goes off to his infantry to fight in the Civil War.. All the characters and the things that transpire in their individual lives are very interesting and there is a moral to the story. Soon when the screenplay is finished I would like to share it with all of you and get some feed back and find all the talent that we need to make it a real movie. We are getting it (the screenplay) wrapped up, with the thought in mind of creating a movie that can be viewed by all audiences, that inspires goodness, appreciation and love for fellow man. Especially. I want the viewer to feel good after he/she watches the movie. And last but not least, although challenging, authenticity will prevail!
