10-11-98Chop what...?
Got an email from New Zealand this morning. Offered some good input regarding script esp. the idea of how to choreograph the fight scenes by watching Jackie Chan flicks. Jackie has a unique way to his fighting style and I believe DD would fit right into it. DD is not a big man, nor does he posses super human strengths. What he does possess is agility and stamina. Another style DD would work well with is Steven Segall's. Not a big fan of SS but his fighting method uses his opponents strengths against them which is perfect for DD. Not a straight forward burly fisticuffs approach but an elegant yet potent style.
It's getting down to a few weeks when I'll do the FADE IN. Right now, I'm at that stage where the story is all set and I have enough confidence to begin scripting. This doesn't mean the "research phase" stops once I start writing. Not at all. I'll still be looking into things (Jackie's films for example) as I write. Also, though I begin to script, it doesn't mean I know every inch of dialogue or how every scene will play out. Some scenes I know completely, others are vague, while others are basically the "who," "where," and "why." The "how" will come as I write. For me, this is where my most powerful writing develops.
Bruce Lee once stated: "When man is devoid of self-consciousness and he loses concern over what impression he is making, art reaches its greatest peak." I have great conviction in this statement. Every script I have written, I've noticed how scenes and elements of scenes suddenly gel with other elements of the script when I'm not consciously thinking about it. I get into these runs where I'm not so much thinking, just writing. Sure, sometimes it's nonsense but sometimes...it's gold.
More to come...