downplay

So, you pitch an idea for a script to a studio and then write it? It would then be solicited? Or do studios create the ideas and then contract writers? Or what?

Very cool, I will definitely check it out!

Yes, thank you. All good advice. If it is more difficult than I think then it will just take longer. I also know that a bad director or poor cast can kill a good movie script as well. Many scripts never even get read by anyone important. Maybe I'm wasting my time but I've found its pretty hard to succeed without daring to fail. If magic was easy it wouldn't be...magic. I will check into those books but they don't sound like the right type of story to me. I think you need a beginner story. The angle of bringing a student up in 'Point Break' was decent but I've heard some pretty compelling true stories that might work as well. So far I haven't come up with a better way to gently introduce an audience to the jargon and culture of the sport. I suppose there are other ways for a person to become familiar with the sport. There are non-jumping related jobs at some of the large DZs. There are also family members of skydivers and groupies. However; I haven't heard many compelling stories for the sport from these members of the community.

I agree on taking classes, etc. As for how scripts are made, I am sure there are techniques but at the end of the day, it is mainly a dialogue between characters, is it not? I am certain anything I can learn about how movies are made could be helpful but I don't want to produce or direct, only script one or more films. So feature film scripts can't be created through developed characters living a real story that happened?

I propose creating a skydiving movie based on real experiences and traditions of the sport. Below I've created a list of questions and answers I would have about the sport. There are more questions to be answered and better answers to these but I wanted to post a first draft to see if there is any positive response. (Mods: Please move this thread if not in the proper forum category). The BS Project (Brother Search Project) (1) What is the BS Project? (2) How do we make a movie script worthy of the big-screen? (3) How is it different from the other Hollywood movies that include skydiving? (4) Who can participate in the project? (5) Why a movie? (6) Who is the audience? (7) Who has creative control? (8) How do we target the audience? (9) What experience do I have? (10) How long will it take? (11) Why write a movie about skydiving? (12) What type of stories am I interested in? (13) What about privacy, permissions, etc? (14) What will be the greatest challenges for me in the project? (15) How can you help? (16) Hasn't this been done before? (17) Is there a backup plan? (18) Why call it the BS Project? (19) Don't movies increase the number of idiots in the sport? (1) What is the BS Project? The idea is to portray skydiving from a realistic point of view in the movie theater with some class and style. The plan it to sell the dream of flight like never before! (2) How do we make a movie script worthy of the big-screen? We collect true stories of all kinds, both past and present, from the skydiving community on a members-only forum & website. We need stories of sport, risks, incidents, friendships, accidents, incidents, miracles, struggles overcome, etc, etc. We can also collect phrases, songs, traditions, ceremonies, etc. All the information can be sorted, edited, categorized, and so forth as it is gathered. Once the collection covers enough areas of the sport, I will step back and look at all the stories and weave a first movie from the best stories. Tales for a first movie will be carefully selected to help the public relate to the characters. (3) How is it different from the other Hollywood movies? First, just the way it will be made. It will be constructed mostly from real stories and experiences. Also, at least the first movie will be carefully targeted at the public through story selection and character development. All movies will be designed to span the gamut of emotion and intensity of the sport with a ring of truth, class, and style. There should still be plenty of room for the binging and fringing side of the sport as well ;o) (4) Who can participate in the project? I think anyone who is a skydiver, who is a long-term family member of a dedicated skydiver, etc. (5) Why a movie? Skydiving is a visual, physical sport. It is my opinion that nothing less than a movie could do the sport justice. In addition, movies tend to reach a wider audience, generate more publicity, and make more money than any other medium. (6) Who is the audience? The movie will be broadly aimed at the public and skydiving community. It will be for anyone who ever jumped, dreamed of flight, and even those "why would you ever jump out of a perfectly good airplane" folks. (7) Who has creative control? There are just too many chiefs in the skydiving community and not enough Indians to make it a vote. However; I would like to run some online polls if the project gets any external funding. Some creative input may be available in exchange for financial and other support of the project. (8) How do we target the audience? In a first movie, use the collected stories to create characters to which people can relate. If a first movie is successful, then maybe we can take more risks in a sequel. (9) What experience do I have? I've written a few magazine articles for Skydiving, Parachutist, etc. I've been in the sport of skydiving for 10 years, have 1,200 jumps, have been a static-line jumpmaster, and a tandem instructor. I am also friends and acquaintance to a wide variety of skydivers from students to instructors to champions of competition. Writing good dialogue can be difficult. Fortunately I hang out with some witty assholes ;o) (10) How long will it take? Working on it part time I imagine a script could be worked out in a couple two-three years. If anyone is willing to finance the project, the timeframe could be moved up significantly. (11) Why write a movie about skydiving? For me there are many reasons personal and financial. Times that I have spent skydiving and with skydiving friends have been the best of my life--by far! I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. I consider myself extremely lucky to have discovered the sport of skydiving. I was raised in a very uptight, strict environment. The in-your-face socialization and mind-blowing physical experiences of skydiv ing have really helped me to "come out of my shell" and learn about the world and myself. I have a long way to go but I never would've gotten this far without the sport and all of my friends. I wish to honor the sport and its participants of the past and present. The sport has an incredibly rich past of characters, events, technological developments, etc, etc I also don't like most of the portrayals of skydiving that I've seen in movies. I think they are either too goofy and/or unreal. I don't like the people of our sport looking like a bunch of whack jobs or smugglers or whatever. Of course there is that side, but I want to show people more of the every day spirit of skydiving and the dream of flight through real stories from the sport. I consider skydiving to be an adventurous celebration of life. I want to movie with a little class and style. (Don't worry; there will be plenty of dialogue dedicated to the wilder sides of the sport as well). I also think the size and health of the sport is directly related to numbers of students flowing through the DZ schools. Movies can be excellent advertising. I think the sport could use a boost in the current uncertain economic times. If developed artfully, we can sell the dream with an edge of reality like never before! Finally, I want to make money, get out of debt, and travel the world skydiving, surfing, snowboarding, and surfing. A couple of movies will do that far quicker and better than a shelf full of novels ever could. (12) What type of stories am I interested in? First jumps, student jumps, student stories, DZ dramas, pure fun, friendships, romances, technological advances, legal battles, feuds, traditions, sport, competition, malfunctions, injuries, death, and anything else related to the sport directly or indirectly. (13) What about privacy, permissions, etc? Permission will be sought where reasonable and the privacy of all people involved will be maintained as requested. Names, locations, etc. can be modified to provide some anonymity. Some may prefer the publicity of using real names and places. I don't care whether if we use real names so long as respect is maintained for the people who the stories are about. (14) What will be the greatest challenges for me in the project? I will have to learn to write good dialogue. Finding time to work on it between part-time jobs and other projects. It is also very difficult to get scripts in front of the right people in the movie industry. This is a big risk and is reason many movies never see the silver screen. I know a few television people, some members of the Screen Actors Guild, and a few stunt men. I will just have to exploit what connections I have and hopefully others who wish to help the project can do the same. (15) How can you help? Type out a great story, song, phrase, or tradition from your skydiving experiences and then post it in my thread or send it me in email at [email protected]. Make a comment or send a post encouraging me to pursue the project. Make a suggestion about project organization or style. Suggest sources of information or funding. Send money to support a website, forum, or my time working on the project. It is difficult for me to afford being around the DZ lately, but that is exactly the best place to work on such a project. This is what I could think of quickly off the top of my head. Making a world-class big screen movie will be quite an undertaking and I am sure I will need much more help. (16) Hasn't this been done before? When I am through developing my movie(s), no one will say that it has been done before! I wouldn't bother otherwise. (17) Is there a backup plan? There is always television! (18) Why call it the BS Project? Mainly, I think the size and success of the sport is directly related to the number of students flowing through the DZ schools. Movies always boost the number of tandems and students. I think a movie or series of movies could be good for the health of the sport and industry in such sour economic times. Basically, a movie should result in more brothers in the sport. I also think its funny that "BS" also stands for "Bull Shit!" (19) Don't movies increase the number of idiots in the sport and corresponding dangers? Yes, of course more numbers means more idiots, dangers, and injuries. Skydiving is not a safe sport for everyone. There is always risk and the more people involved means the more incidents. I would prefer to have more fun friends in the sport and take the rest as it comes. If you want a safe sport, skydiving is not for you (however; I firmly believe it can be approached safely). Only about 1 in 100 students becomes a skydiver for any time as it is. It would be nice to have enough skydivers to support a few more drop zones, sponsored athletes, events, etc, etc. I think the current level of sport participation makes it difficult on everyone who wants to be a professional in the sport.