0

Category: What a Writer Needs to Know

Calgary Airport Baggage Claim
Jul242019

Dinosaurs in the Airport

Calgary Airport Baggage Claim

Have you ever been to the Calgary Airport? They have my all-time favourite baggage claim in the world: a display of dinosaurs completely tearing up luggage and their contents.

Now, what do dinosaurs (and this exhibit) have to do with filmmaking? It’s a story about what the general public never see:

Behind-the-scenes.

In story, we have the opportunity to – and we really like to – go to places we don’t have access to in every day life. How many shows are behind-the-scenes in hospitals, police stations, morgues, space? How many of us have been behind the rubber flap doorway in the airport into where the luggage transfers from passenger to plane to passenger again? Not many… but I bet any image that comes to mind for you comes from the movies: “Die Hard II,” “The Terminal,” etc. So if you’re writing, go behind the scenes!

And if you’re working in fiction, you don’t have to stick to every day logic. You could have some dinosaurs help you move that luggage… although I think the Calgary Airport got it right. I’m not sure they’d be much help!

Cheers & happy imagining to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – – –

Deborah (Deb) Patz is the author of Write! Shoot! Edit! for teens and Film Production Management 101 for the industry – both books are published worldwide by MWP. She’s also part of the editorial board for Prism International and loves, loves, loves to travel.

WHERE IS DEB? (upcoming events and appearances)
July 29 – Aug 2, 2019 – UFVA Conference: Land of 10,000 Stories, Minneapolis, MN – Panelist
July 31, 2019 – The Future of Story – Panel & Social Hour, Minneapolis, MN – Panelist
Aug 25, 2019 – MWP Author Summit, Hollywood, CA

WHERE TO FIND DEB’S BOOKS?
Paperback or eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, Waterstones, direct from the publisher and from plenty of other great bookstores worldwide.

Aug242016

Ciné Surfer: Basics of Script Copyright

lglstatStephen Follows has an interesting site. Not a lot of links on the Resources page, but what’s there is worth the surf by. In particular, I enjoyed:

Basics of Script Copyright

https://stephenfollows.com/resource/basics-of-script-copyright/

Although copyright is handled differently in each country, the basics are here. Know the basics already? Well, there may be a nugget or two that’s new to you. What do you think?

Cheers & a clear script to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

My own book, “Film Production Management 101.” covers a related topic, script clearances, from a production manager’s and coordinator’s point of view. Don’t worry, the book is conversational in tone and very accessible reading, if you’re like to learn more.

Jul312016

What a Screenwriter Needs to Know About… Production Budgets

Writing and money… am I serious?

In the collaborative spirit of the film industry… yes.

I’ve taken a moment (ok, 4 min and 45 sec) to highlight a few things that writers should know about production budgets, because… well… when you write a movie, the script is not not going to be the story’s final form.

Here ’tis :

Cheers & insightful writing to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – – – – – – –

For more info on production budgets and on many more details about the production process, come over and check out my book “Film Production Management 101.”

You can also see me in person at the UFVA Conference in Las Vegas, July 31 – Aug. 4. I’ll be on several panels or at the MWP Books booth.

I’ll also be at the Future of Story Conference on August 1.