Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label story. Show all posts

Thursday 27 August 2015

I Write American

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir
(DisclaimerThis 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."

Thursday 11 September 2014

Screenwriting White Space: What Is It Good For?

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir
(DisclaimerThis 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).

Monday 24 February 2014

What A (Good) Story Means To Me

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

Narrative


Hey guys, today I'd like to talk to you about story, not just any story, but good story and what it means to me.

Like many creative mediums, platforms or whatever the fuck you want to call them, story is a subjective matter. One person's Monet could be another person's euro trash. We each have our own ideals, thoughts, influences and factors that mold our definition of a good story. It's not a right or wrong thing, it's whatever resonates inside the individual. Whatever sparks that emotion inside you is what counts.

Unfortunately, we live in a society today where everything is digested and thrown away within a blink of an eye, or should I say a click of a button, or is that a slide of the finger? My point is, attention spans have reduced quicker than a diarrhetic bowl over the last (at least) 10 years. What this means is a severe reduction in good story and an increase in eye candy. The next generation of cinema goers/storytellers have been groomed into a corner where everything is geared to be generically structured without the twists, turns and surprises most of the older generation were lucky enough to grow up with. Some will argue this point, others will nod in agreement. Again, it's all subjective.

Bare with me as I rattle along and bring this sucker back.

Tuesday 31 May 2011

SETBACK - A Short Script Needs You! (Pt1)

 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)


Christian Bale: American Psycho (2000)


"Ozdemir has some intriguing ideas about looking deeper than the filmic surface – something that all filmmakers should start thinking about.." In Production - Brett Gerry Films

I'm writing this article in search of a small group of talented actors, actresses and Independent filmmakers willing to collaborate on an Interesting yet somewhat twisted little short film. 

Set Back is a short script I wrote within 24hrs of having the initial Idea and weighs in at a mammoth, wait for it... 5 pages! *Ahem* - The story looks at a day in mans life who through a series of baffling events discovers the body of a murdered young female. Though he informs the relevant authorities of this tragic event, he finds himself locked up and protesting his Innocence.

The Initial Idea for Set Back came whilst taking a break from writing my James Cameron Inspired Sci-Fi short K.O.S (more on that later). Oh wait, did I just say whilst taking a break? I'm sorry, what I meant to say was whilst bashing my head against a wall and screaming like a 2yr old in need of a fresh diaper! Oh the joy of writing..