Introduction

[MuffinMuncher]

Just a quick hello.... and no, I am not associated with the Country Music industry!

Anyone from Nashville, please contact me via PM. I am in the final stages of a screenplay, and will be asking alot of questions about music composition and scores.

- MM

[john]

Hey Muffin Muncher

Welcome to Songstuff!

What's the screenplay about?

Oh, the PM system doesn't kick in until you get to 10 posts (I think!). We were getting a problem with spammers using the PM system. They'd join and spam members through the PM system, without posting any board messages.

Cheers

John

[Rudi]

Welcome Muff, yes let us in on the nature of your project.

Rudi

Portsmouth UK

[merciful evans]

hello mm, not quit us already i hope.

welcome

[MuffinMuncher]

hello mm, not quit us already i hope.

welcome

HAHA... no, still here, just buried in a new job, building a new house, moving to Nashville and 100 other competing priorities.

Not sure if this is the correct forum, but the screenplay is 3/4 complete. Re-working the order of some of the scenes as character development and defining the relationships between them is crucial to the second half of the film.

In a nutshell, it is a thinking-person's movie... psychological thriller is the canned industry term. I set out to write something original, not the same old rehashed formula drivel that Hollywood cranks out year after year. It is somewhat autobiographical (write what you know about, right?) at least in terms of setting and character definition, taken to extremes to create conflict and interest.

A group of college-age friends in a small town are all approaching decision points in their lives. The lead male character is your typical overachieving alpha-male, and his best friend is the underachieving jock who is forever in his shadow. The lead female character is the love interest of the male lead, a "townie" who bartends at the local watering hole, a reputation for being easy, but in reality probably smarter and more grounded than any of the other characters. The primary supporting female is the jock's long-time girlfriend, a year younger than the guys, an alpha female who believes she has to be twice as good to get half the credit, and clearly wears the pants in the relationship. Among this group, there is alot of competition, not in the literal sense but in one-up-manship and king-of-the-hill mentality. Each has something at stake, and in the case of the male lead, it is an Assistantship at a Top 3 MBA program that goes to whoever graduates first in his/her class.

Central to this is the relationship between the male lead and the female lead (bartender). She has a steady BF but they have an ongoing "casual arrangement". He wants more from it primarly because of the conquest factor... he wants what he cannot have. She know this, and she also recognizes that she has control as long as it stays casual, and she has no interest in disrupting her primary relationship wtih her BF which she sums up as "he's knows he overachieved, so he's not going to do anything to screw it up".

They all take a senior level fluff course entitled "Criminology 401" which is a case study course on current techniques that law enforcement uses to investigate and solve crimes, with the only grade being a presentation on how one might go about solving an unsolved crime. The professor is a former FBI agent, a local boy who retired early and returned home to teach. The class lecture segments are all meant to be foreshadowing of events that will later be introduced to the audience, snippets of information that are all significant in one way or the other at the resolution point in the film.

Part of defining the characters and their intereaction/relationships to each other is evident in the study group meetings they have to work on this project. There are differences of opinion on what to do, how to do it, and who leads it. Again, this conflict and positioning is part of the central gamesmanship they have amongst each other.

The first half of the script ends with the presentation and the end of that first semester, where the grade is only a B.....

The second half of the film opens with the introduction of an apparent suicide. A body is found in a ravine, an apparent jumper from a bridge, an urban legend at the school for students who cant take the pressure. We meet the local Sheriff, who (in a formula compromise to make this easy to manage) is close to the Professor who teaches the class discussed eariler.

As you can guess, in typical CSI fashion, the suicide turns out to be a murder. There is evidence on the scene that implicates the male lead. An investigation ensues, there is scandal as is typical in a small college town, and the male lead is charged in the crime. He has a solid alibi (he was with his bartender love interest until 4 AM), but in a glimpse into his real character, he wont name her because he knows she will get hurt in the process. His faith in being cleared because he is truly innocent is enough.

At the 11th hour, she comes forward to clear him, the charges are dropped, there is fallout, blah blah blah.

Thats the false ending. The real conflict comes from the "what next". The male lead has learned alot about who is (and is not) his real friends. He knows that someone must have set him up, and from the details it had to be someone close to him. Why? Who?

The last part of the script is trying to go back over a cold trail (one of the lecture scenes focuses on the importance of time, and the fact that crimes are rarely solved if the first suspect turns out to be a dead end). The Professor notices the similarities between the sequence of events, the details of the crime and the course material. The clues lie in the project that the group had presented as their final project, and the suspicion points to who ultimately "won" the power-struggle that decided the course of that project.

The second to last scene is the confrontation by the male lead, laying out what he finds and what he suspects and all the proof he feels he has for it. He cant prove it naturally, the Professor (ex-FBI) told him as much when they went over the details. But it makes for a very emotional conclusion to the film.

However, its a red herring. The "real killer" not only crafted the original murder in such a way to point to the male lead, but he/she also crafted a plausible "second suspect" that he/she knew would surface if anyone took a second look at the evidence.

The last 30 seconds of the movie are the "oh shit!" or "i knew it!" part that I absolutely love about a good crime drama.

[MuffinMuncher]

Anyone from Nashville, please contact me via PM. I am in the final stages of a screenplay, and will be asking alot of questions about music composition and scores.

Secondary questions if anyone can point me in the right direction.

1. I will be looking for collaborative assistance from anyone interested in writing a score for a full length feature film.

2. I am looking for an all-female band with a lead singer who can act in a supporting role and legitimately sing. I have a dialogue going with the Manager of a Canadian band who would be perfect for this, but not sure how logistically possible it will be. For those who are curious, check out http://www.lillix.net/

3. Are there any local film production companies who may be legitimately looking for original material on a major release level? Hey, I can dream big cant I?

Thanks for anyone wishing to help, its appreciated. I realize I am a lowly newbie, but navigating this process and this site is a bit overwhelming.

[john]

hey

Looks like an interesting project.

If you have any questions about the site, don't hesitate to ask. Last thing we want is to overwhelm you. It's meant to be helpful!

Good luck with your project.

Cheers

John

[Steve]

You might try Marc. He writes some pretty good film type compositions! he's a member of this forum but visits infrequently. Try the link and listen to some of his compositions. I think he's a great writer. He can probably write anything you want!

Have a listen to,

Poursuite dans Paris

The Stratosphere