The Most Expensive Words It Is Possible to Write

The Most Expensive Words It Is Possible to Write



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David Simpkin (@simplerDave) asks: If story leads to a big
set piece (from Some Mothers to Miranda etc), do you write it then budget
it, or write knowing limits?No. Stop it. Dont. Seriously.Its very tempting to temper your writing because you know its
a British TV show and that budgets arent huge. But its a serious mistake to limit your imagination and
writing in this way. How to produce whats on the page is the producers
problem.Youre the writer. Write. Imagine. Dream. Create.I probably sound a
bit pretentious here, but I know that in the past, Ive been guilty of trying
to think up TV shows that seem easily achievable and filmable – and in so doing
have thought up ideas that were bland, mundane or too similar to stuff already
out there. Of course a show about six friends living in New York can work. Or a show set in a bar in Boston can work. But why not set a show in a bomb disposal unit stationed at a patrol
base in Afghanistan? Or a show in a BBC 1950s newsroom? Or a Manchester police
station in 1973?These ideas are much more interesting to write and, although
they are hard work to research, the research throws up loads of brilliant stories, characters and moments. Thats what Ive found on Bluestone 42. Plus, these shows are more interesting to TV Commissioners,
Channel Controllers and the TV viewing audience whove already seen a thousand
cop shows, medical dramas and flat-share sitcoms.Unless you have a background as producer, you, as a writer, have no idea how much things cost. So dont worry about it. Stuff that you might think is expensive often turns out to be achievable, while other things you might think are straight forward are a nightmare. So dont prejudge it. Write something awesome.Making it Work

A Foxhound
Good producers find a way of making it work. (And even some
bad producers.) Plus an Art Department or Costume Designer might be desperate to
do something different or interesting. Theyll find a way of making it work.
Maybe theyve just spend four years finding and dressing cottages for Midsomer
Murders. Sure, professionals want a quiet life, but they also love a challenge.
And the chance to do something brilliant. Harry Banks, our Production designer
on Bluestone 42, has pulled together a team to construct these vehicles (see pics: A
Mastiff, a Jackal and a Foxhound) which look amazing, but are essentially
flat-bed trucks, wood and welded metal. And hes made stuff even more awesome
than this that I cant show you yet.

A JackalSo. Free your mind. Write the scene. Write the show. And leave the rest to someone else.
And then, when the Channel controller has been wowed by your creative vision, and sufficiently enthused
to buy the show, you can have that chat with the producer about how you
actually film the darned show.The Most Expensive Words It Is Possible to WriteMaybe your script contains three of the most expensive words
you can write: The fleets engage. But theres probably a way of
shooting even clashing fleets on a budget – especially if the story is about two admirals,
or cabin boys or whatever. After all, big ships firing cannon balls at each
other isn't all that interesting.

A Mastiff
So as you go through your brilliantly imaginative script, you
need to think about what is actually necessary to make the scene work? Youre
writing a comedy, or a drama. Not an action movie. (If youre writing an action
movie, disregard this entire post, obviously). So do you need to see a thousand
extras? Will that make the action more dramatic or funnier? Or do you just need
to give the impression of a thousand people being there? Or a crowd?Think about what Alfred Hitchcock said about drama and
suspense. Do you want a bomb to go off – which can be expensive – or is it more
dramatic to have a briefcase under a table that we know has a bomb in it? Special
effects, stunts and motion graphics are often achievable but theyre not
inherently dramatic. Seeing a human being jump off the Empire State Building
isnt all that interesting – unless you know who it is or why theyre jumping. But
the most interest bit is the bit before they jump. Thats where the drama is. And where theres drama, theres comedy. Shoot that.