How to hit a moving target

Reality is one of the most sadistic entities known to man. It is in a constant state of change, ebbing and flowing in directions that are not always conducive to even the most thought out strategies. In the world of VOC, Devin learns this lesson time and time again.


Despite his best efforts, Reality has a way of stepping in and blowing even the best laid plans completely to hell. In this case, I like to believe that is Art imitating Life.


Every film, VOC included, is in a constant state of evolution until the final cut is printed. During production the filmmaker needs to constantly Adapt to hundreds of changes brought on by thousands of issues, major or minor. I had several instances where hours/days/weeks of planning had to be scrapped on location due to Reality.

During those instances I was faced with two very simple choices:

Adapt or Die.

The interesting thing is, I learned that I work extremely well under pressure. As I review footage during the editing stage I'm reminded that a few of my favorite scenes started off as Obstacles. I had to re-direct, re-block, re-write and re-think on location while the clock was ticking. Thankfully, miraculously even, what ended up being caught on camera was far better than my originally planned shots.

Adapt or Die. Conflict breeds Emotion.

Those are two ideas to keep in mind when writing a script. If your character is forced to make split second decisions, if he is given the opportunity to be an emotional alchemist, the audience will have more opportunities for empathy. And an empathetic audience is the key to success.

In the world of Devin Reeves and VOC, in the world that you and I occupy, one rule stays constant:

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." - Charles Darwin

-paul



#voc, #vocfilm, #chicagofilm, #indiefilm