Author: admin

I’ve categorized each bit of the Coverage feedback as easy, ok, or big.

While I’ve started thinking about the big changes needed, I’m giving myself plenty of time to address these. The most significant change is to make the antagonist a more worthy foe. It often requires a compelling bad guy to really make a movie come alive.

Today, I’ve completed updating all of the easy ones. An example is updating the slug lines to be consistent.

Many of the ok items are also fairly easy. Some require threading ideas throughout the script so that a particular scene makes more sense when the reader gets to it.

I’m very excited to see the story getting better!

On May 20, just five days after my request, I got the script coverage back from Script Reader Pro. I’m thrilled that this happened so quickly.

I’m also excited about the process.

The script recommendation is “Development Needed”. This is expected.

The best part of the coverage is the detailed analysis the reader performed. Over ten pages of detailed notes!

Not only did the reader understand the intent of Bachata Becomes Her, but she also offered valuable insights into what is currently working and what could be improved.

I’m excited to respond to her feedback and take the next steps needed to improve the screenplay.

Based on my experience with Script Reader Pro, I highly recommend the service. Writers should definitely get script coverage before trying to get their movie made. Getting feedback from a talented reader is invaluable.

Now, it’s time to make the script even better!

During Pre-Production, I look forward to working with a cinematographer to discuss the look and feel of Bachata Becomes Her. I’ve done this for other movie projects.

Here’s an example of what we might consider.

This may look like a picture of our dog, relaxing on a couch. And it is.

But it’s also something more. Notice the vertical shadows on the armchair of the couch. These are caused by sunlight going through the blinds of our window.

To my eye, the shadows evoke prison bars. No matter how comfortable he looks, our dog appears to be imprisoned.

This is how Paloma feels during part of the movie. To a greater or lesser degree, I want the cinematography to provide visual clues that relate to her emotional state.

Especially when Paloma is in her father’s house, she feels trapped. Imagery like the above can be used to evoke such feelings.

Some of the buildings at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, have a utilitarian look. Shooting exterior scenes there might show the school’s functional role. This contrasts with the beauty Paloma experiences in Ms. Schmidt’s dance class.

It’s fun to consider such possibilities!

Look, I know that I have plenty to do. I know that it’s important to let others know about the movie I want to make to celebrate Bachata Danding in Colorado.

I’m excited to host a Staged Reading of the script.

However, before we do this, I want to get professional feedback on the screenplay’s quality. I want to make sure that any investor interested in the project can have a good shot at making money.

I wish that investing in movies were more of a sure thing. It’s not. Many movies have failed to recoup the losses associated with making them.

How can I convince people that this movie is different?

One approach is to polish the script. If more than one reader is impressed, we’ll likely find an enthusiastic audience for the movie. If not, we’ll continue to polish it.

While there are no guarantees, I’m excited to announce that I’ve requested coverage from Script Reader Pro.

Next Steps: In about 14 days, I’m going to get some feedback. I do not expect a standing ovation. Instead, I expect to react. I expect to improve the screenplay so that it has a higher probability of making a difference.

Wish me luck!

This is the next step toward making Bachata Becomes Her a successful movie!

I’m thrilled to say that I’ve completed the next version of the script.

What’s changed? Not much. The story idea is the same.

Yet, nearly every page has been revised. Details have been added, extraneous words have been removed. New scenes exist, and some of the original scenes have been reworked.

Is it ready for production? No.

I realize that more work is needed. Still, it’s a huge milestone that’s worth celebrating.

Progress happens step-by-step.

I’ve written a few songs. While some people may compose an entire song all at once, I tend to latch on to small fragments of the song, one at a time. For me, a song is built up one measure after another. The same is true of scripts.

I’ve heard the story that John Hughes wrote The Breakfast Club in just two days. Unbelievable!

While I find it inspiring that some writers can pump out a screenplay much faster than others, I’m a slow writer. I come up with one scene at a time. And it takes even longer for me to realize if those scenes actually belong in the movie.

Today, I’m happy to report that I think I’ve figured out the new B-Story for Bachata Becomes Her. It’s a love story. While it’s not your traditional love story, it seems to fit in well with the rest of the script.

Although I still need to flesh out the details, I’m very excited to see where this goes.

Step-by-step, we’re getting closer to making this movie happen!

While reviewing the initial draft of the screenplay, I realized that the existing B-Story did not fit in well with the rest of the movie.

I pulled out those scenes. When I read them together, it became obvious that they didn’t actually form a complete story. So, that was a second reason to remove them!

Sometimes, a movie gets better by removing scenes that don’t work. This is especially true during the writing phase. It remains true during the production and editing phases.

There is a quote by Howard Hawks that puts this into perspective. He says, “A good movie is three good scenes and no bad scenes.” I’m happy to get rid of bad scenes when I realize why they’re not working.

We still have more work to do on the script. As many people have noted, “Writing is rewriting.”

After several rounds of improvement, I look forward to having a table read, which should provide more feedback to make even more improvements.

So it goes!

Movie projects typically begin with one or more ideas.

Back in 2019, not long after discovering bachata, I wrote a short script (roughly 40 pages long) called Small Town Bachata. It wasn’t very good.

A lot has happened since then. We survived the Covid-19 pandemic, we worked on other movie projects, we learned a lot, and we had some great experiences.

Having said this, I never forgot about the Colorado bachata story I wanted to tell.

Because I grew up in a small town in Eastern Colorado, I wanted to keep that idea in the story. When I was a kid, I dreamed of moving away and making big things happen. When I started learning bachata, I was impressed by the freedom I felt while dancing and the strength of the bachata community in Colorado.

To build on these ideas, I decided to expand the script into a full-length screenplay called Bachata Becomes Her.

Today, I completed the first draft.

Soon, other pre-production activities can ramp up.

This project is going to be quite the adventure!