The Storyteller's Desk — Story Development & Script Management

"What you think you become."

Envision. Plan. Achieve. Straightforward as that.

You can start with a cliche, but never end with one. And to quote Jean-Luc Goddard, "A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order." It requires a well drawn out process to get from concept to finished film, and to have the final product connect with as wide an audience base as possible.

Embrace structure and it will free you.

Always break down the activities and handle managable tasks, while remaining focused on the end goal. Don't try to chew it all at once, or you may need to call an ambulance. No pun intended.

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DISCLAIMER: Kindly do not share story ideas, script(s), or any other unsolicited material with us through this website. We do not encourage this and will not read or review it; such material(s) will be discarded from our system right away. We will ask for the material(s) once certain formalities are completed to ensure that it is properly registered and our discussions to follow will be purely in the role of a consultant reviewing and offering recommendations for improvement. Any further participation will require further meetings and discussions at a different level.

Concept: [Conception / Acquisition] It all begins with an idea. Either one is blessed enough to get that bolt of a lightning strike them directly or they ought to be vigilant enough to grab the one who is blessed with it. Once a concept is agreed upon and all rights are secured, we will then move on to adapt it for the screen.	Writing: [Type - Type - Type] There are no shortcuts here. Every idea must be given equal importance and noted down for later reference. These early, unadulterated thoughts are invaluable. Go through the entire process till you have a complete outline of the film. The first draft is purely for the intuitive flow of what seems to come naturally inspired from the material.	Draft 01: An Exploration An understanding of the genre, theme, budget, target audience, and the protagonist will be fodder for this process. Ensure that the only question ringing in the reader's head be, "What happens next?" Caution: Don't get attached to this draft, it will be ripped apart a thousand times in a thousand ways.
Many Minds, One Vision Whether it is a producer driven film or a director's vision ... the focal point must be fixed and all channels must filter through only one lens, so that the finished product and all its parts are cohesive. This is critical.	Film is a Visual Medium It is important to establish the visual language of the film early. This has to be defined for all the department heads to apply across the board: Casting, Locations, Crew, Costume, Make-up...	Attention to Detail Meticulously and painstakingly, develop every asset of the film until it matures into an unmistakable truth that belongs in the world of the story. Here the producer is faced with the task of walking a fine line: balancing budgetary constraints against creative fantasies. It's the producer who's got to rein in the team and keep them on track. The director on the other hand contests against every demand to curtail. The best one wins; hopefully in favor of a better film and not a bruised ego.
Know Your USP Play on your strengths; get the best help to fix your weaknesses. Sometimes this is a discovery one chances upon through the course of production and close to finishing the film. Nonetheless, keep an eye out for it and the moment your instincts spot it, work on it. Pit your characters against each other to generate drama, but never your team. Every crew has a pulse. Every film has a unique pace and rhythm; it's important to get these right.	Producer and Director Duo It is important that the producer and director look eye-to-eye. They must at all times be able to confront and challenge each other. They are a team and everything under them will work only if they can work well together. Their instincts and intuition is primal for the film and this would mean they need to be utterly honest with each other, as far as the film is concerned.	The First Image The movie takes birth in isolation, away from the public eye. When its head crowns, it is with the first publicity image. This image is paramount to setting right, the audience relationship to the film and its characters. It should not be an afterthought nor should it be a wild guess. The team must have a vision for this and must aim to accomplish it early on.
Critical Acclaim and/or Box Office What are your choices? What are your wishes? Know early the kind of film you are making and don't be a novice in making your wishes, and your choices will become very evident. Whether you go for acclaim or box office, or maybe even both, always set your goal to engage and entertain the audience. Dazzle them with a journey they'd never imagined possible and the rewards will follow tenfold.	Intuition, not Insecurity Your greatest gift as a storyteller is your intuition, don't play to your insecurities instead. There is no safety in following trends. By the time you come up with a copycat, that trend would have been replaced by yet another. It sure takes a lot to follow your heart and expose yourself to your audience, but the only way you can go wrong when attempting to do so, is if you were nursing your insecurities and cutting back on intuition.	First Notes It will always boil down to your first steps. Were you honest? Were you thorough? Were you certain? It is important that you start out only once you have committed yourself fully and have applied yourself completely to understanding every aspect of the material before diving in to adapt it (fact/fiction) for the screen. This step is important because everything that follows from here will happen too quick and under great pressures, the only strength you will have is that of your intuition.