I’ve been writing a screenplay that is based on a certain concept album. I was wondering where, how, and any other information that I would need to obtain permission to adapt the work.
–Aaron
You can find the answer here.
QandA
Bob Marley
Why has no one ever considered making a movie of Bob Marley ?
–J. Quin
They have. Back when I was a terrified assistant at Oliver Stone’s production
company, one of the executives was negotiating for the rights to "Catch
a Fire," Timothy White’s biography of Marley. I know there were several
Bob Marley projects in development at some time-I’m sure at least one had Denzel
Washington attached-but none of them have made it to the screen yet.
Making a bio-pic of a musical icon can be tough for a few reasons. First,
you have to get the artist’s music rights, because without the recognizable
songs, what’s the point? Second, you need to find an actor who can pull off
the role, which for Marley could be tricky.
Finally and most importantly, you have to figure out what the cinematic story
is. Sadly, people’s actual lives don’t break down into three convenient acts with rising action and a winning combination of humor and pathos. (For that,
see "Behind the Music," which shoehorns everything into the same "…and
then drugs came into the picture" template.)
Real life is messy and tangled, with false starts and contradictory motivations.
Assuming you died today (a safe bet, since most rock stars die young), how
would your ghost write the story of your life? I suspect it would be hard to
pull out any overall themes or structure, and you know yourself better than
you know Bob Marley.
Despite these obstacles, I’m certain someone will figure out how to make a
Bob Marley movie. Maybe it will be you.
Various locations
Can you tell me what is preferred/correct for this situation? Mabel is moving through a house (and, if necessary, outside):
INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY
Mabel searches for the cat.
INT. KITCHEN – DAY
Mabel searches for the cat.
EXT. STREET – DAY
Mabel searches for the cat.
Et cetera. Thanks very much.
–Arnold Sable
Yeah, that pretty much sucks, Arnold. Unless you are repeating the sentence for some effect, perhaps showing how intensely single-minded Mabel can be, almost anything else would be better.
The simplest choice would be to use a different scene heading that encompasses all needed locations, such as:
INT. HOUSE – VARIOUS ROOMS – DAY
Or, if you do want to show each location, try varying your descriptions of Mabel’s search so that they don’t repeat.
Finally, you could consider using a montage format:
MONTAGE as Mabel searches for the cat:
— She pulls open the dryer in the laundry room.
— Checks the kitchen cupboards.
— Searches under the porch with a flashlight.
— Pokes the broom under the sofa.
— Rechecks the kitchen cupboards again.
What format you choose really depends on the situation, and how much information you need the reader to know.
Western’s out?
Are western’s out?
–Mark Barragar
Yes. So write one if you feel like it. By the time you’re finished, they’ll
probably be in again, and you’ll be ahead of the curve.