I Write American

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir
(Disclaimer: This article may contain words and phrases that some people may find offensive. Please do not continue if easily offended)

I'm a Cypriot Man who grew up in London, with British values... But I write AMERICAN Scripts.

I don't write Cypriot.
I don't write British.
I write American.

Most of my childhood movies ranged from The Goonies, Back To The Future, Indiana Jones all the way up to Rocky, Pulp Fiction and Se7ven to name but a very, very few. Though I didn't have a clue back then, they've been the predominant backbone of everything I've written and aimed to capture since I left my day job in 2010. Trouble is, when it comes to story and structure, I feel very much at at odds with my homegrown peers who, understandably, embrace storytelling native to this country (UK).

Now how do I say this without sounding like a self indulgent prick...

I believe in a 3 act structure of start, middle and an end with at least two plot points that anchor the story. I enjoy watching/writing films that catch the audience off guard with twists, turns and shock reveals somewhere along it's timeline. The best example I can give is M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense:

That film is the epiphany of "Ho. Lee. Fuck."

Screenwriting White Space: What Is It Good For?

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir
(Disclaimer: This article contains words and phrases that some people may find offensive. Please do not continue if easily offended)

People are always banging on about 'white space' when it comes to screenwriting. You see it in nearly every piece of writing advice:

"Script readers won't read your script unless they see plenty of white space..."

"You gotta make sure there's a lot of white space in your script to make it breath..." 

"White space, white space, white spaaaccceee!"

Trouble is, they never really tell you why. Yes, the obvious is that it's easier on the eyes, less is more, better impact per word/sentence/paragraph etc etc. But I'm sure most of you writing folks already know that (or anyone who's ever read anything for that matter, instinctually knows this).

THE SOLDIER - Did That Just Happen?

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir
(Disclaimer: This article contains words and phrases that some people may find offensive. Please do not continue if easily offended)

Directing Actor Oliver Park

Where to begin...

OK, let's take it from the top. The Soldier is a script I originally wrote for the Virgin Media Shorts competition (2013). I'd entered my previous short film 30 Seconds 2 Late in 2012 but had zero intention of entering this year. That is until around 4 weeks before competition deadline. I suddenly had this idea about a lone British soldier who makes a last stand against enemy forces. I knew I could make it work, shit, even make the tight deadline if I just kept things super simple. One location. 2 actors, max.

Controversy is a Short Script Called 'PROMISED'

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir

(Disclaimer: This article contains words and phrases that some people may find offensive. If you are easily offended then please do not continue)

Photo by: A_Mel5 | Property of Bulent Ozdemir

faith/fāTH/

Noun:

Complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

Faith is a highly sensitive subject matter and one that to this very day causes wars, acts of terrorism and inhumane violence. It also forms the basis of the most controversial short film I will probably ever make - 'PROMISED'

The story is set in a real world environment and touches upon a certain promise one Archangel made to another before the creation of Man. A moment that would change the fate of these two 'brothers' for eternity.

Let me enlighten you a little further with a fictional back story:

SETBACK - Journey from Script to Screen (Pt2)

 Article written by Bulent Ozdemir

(Disclaimer: This article contains words and phrases that some people may find offensive. If you are easily offended then please do not continue)

©Wolf Valley Films 2011

An Idea, a germ of an Idea forms. It lingers. Asks questions. Born out of the beating my brain's taken from the Sci Fi script I'm writing, it grows by itself. Something completely different. Grab a pen. A pad.

Words spew out onto white space and bleed into each other as my hand tries to keep up. Not sure if it's me writing the story or the Pen. It screams across the pages like a crazed dog with a hot pepper shoved up its ass. To take a breath would be an insult.

16th May 2011. 24 hours after the initial Idea the first draft of Set Back is complete. Not a long script by any standards. A mere 5 pages. Still, 4 days later the final draft is in the bag. The slug hits my ears as quickly as the words hit paper:

" A man finds himself locked up & protesting his innocence over the brutal murder of a young female "

And so the Journey begins..