“I learned something in the studio that highlighted my previous experience/lack of previous experience with screenwriting…”

As we ventured into week 2 we began to further tease out some of factors that are involved in developing the character’s world. Some of the points of discussion included:
Using the character’s backstory as tool for exploring limitations and responses to the world and exploring the boundaries of the world.
For example, this is evident in The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, 2012 Dir. Stephen Chbosky. The abuse Charlie was a victim of as a child, resulted in a deep guilt that impacted his ability to form friendships, and how he reacted to current situations of conflict.

I found this train of thought really interesting, so, I followed it for a while until it morphed into something different, and down the rabbit hole I fell.

I began as follows…

Which came first? The chicken, or the egg?

I wondered, in constructing a world, which comes first- the character, (including their backstory) or, constructing the setting and the physicality of the world?

Did the writers of Sex and the City (TV Series 1998–2004) begin by creating their version of New York City, and THEN inhabited it with 4 woman, and followed their exploration of that world for 6 seasons? Or…. did they begin with Carrie Bradshaw as a polished character, and THEN realised that someone whose favoured mode of transport included walking freakishly fast in stylish stilettoes, and catching yellow cabs in the rain, could only exist in NYC?

These are the questions that keep me up at night…watching sex in the city… all 6 seasons.

I finally settled on the idea that there are probably no hard and fast rules, right? Which is kinda a bummer because I love rules and guidelines; I think they’re great.

However, in reviewing my class notes, I realised maybe there was!

“It is the characteristic of the vast majority of cities in the movies that they focus not on architecture per se, but on architecture as it affects, and is interpreted, by citizens.”
– Thomas
(Forgot about that bad boy)
I really agree with this, I think it makes a lot of sense. I am totally adopting it as a guideline for future attempts at screenwriting.

Cheers Tom from 2003
xoxo

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