I've just changed my MA project significantly and I'm so glad I had the guts to do it. My old idea was stuck in a rut, I couldn't see where it was going. In our scriptwriting session last week I realised that I need a story that is smaller in scope but big on attitude. A plot involving at least ten characters and nuclear war, as well as several location changes, just isn't going to work for a new writer. The research alone probably would have taken me up to September.
I was so hooked on my satirical look at the world, I didn't think about the practicalities. My new idea is a complete U-turn, a small story, character driven, and it has a feasible research time-span. It is important to make an impression, but also stick to realistic production values. There is more chance of my new idea getting produced, it can't all be island hopping and special effects. In fact, if I'd have run with my first idea, I'd probably have been laughed out of space for being a pretentious armature.
Ohh, the trials and tribulations of being a writer...
I've always been a fan of independent, obscurely original films. So I will now be watching a whole lot of these indie films for inspiration.
