From Script to Screen - 'Deception'

When I approached Birmingham-based film company Lightweaver Productions with a treatment for a film noir, little did I know how it would feel to see the results on-screen. That moment, however, would be a while coming. First of all, I worked with Lightweaver Productions to produce a script. We had to ensure dialogue felt natural and memorable for the actors, delivering information that viewers needed to know. It was also necessary to have actor and camera directions that were both effective and achievable in the lapse of film available, which could fit within the budget constraints. Eventually, ‘Deception’ was born; a Grime-Noir thriller in which characters, and hopefully viewers, would be deceived by the turn of events.

As Executive Producer, I had the chance to be involved in various aspects of the production process and, when filming began, I was fortunate enough to spend a day on-set meeting cast and crew. I found it fascinating to see scenes I had written taking shape before me as camera angles and spoken word. I received humbling praise from cast, who were excited by the quality of the dialogue and the intriguing twists of the story. The opportunity allowed me to see how word choice can play a large part in the successful delivery of storyline. This can apply when writing for film or a novel, though is more apparent when you hear the words aloud, which is why reading your writing out loud is such a benefit in the drafting stages.

After filming ended, the next stage was post-production. The filmed footage was taken away to be edited together. Once completed, together with special effects and re-recorded dialogue, ‘Deception’ began a tour of Short Film Festivals. It received acclaim for story, music, performance, cinematography and art direction. All of this amplifies the fact that, although a script may begin with words penned by a writer, the journey to finished film involves a great deal of work by many talented individuals. Writing can be, for the majority of your time, a solo venture usually locked away with a notepad or computer as you pour words onto a page. Writing for film illuminated my writing microcosm, expanding my awareness of creational input by working alongside others to bring a plot to screen. In many ways, this is similar to the route to publication with a novel. The writer pens the original story, but that then passes under the careful eyes of Editors, Beta readers, Literary Agents and Publishers before becoming a bound, physical book on a shelf.

‘Deception’ has since been rated PG (with mild violence) by the British Board of Film Classification and premiered online via YouTube. Since its release ‘Deception’ has received very positive feedback and it is thrilling to know so many people are enjoying it. All any writer could ask for is that people like their work, whether readers or viewers, either in book form, on stage or on screen. If you would like to see ‘Deception’ you can follow the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4vskiD7HC4

Some other links you may find useful:-

https://www.facebook.com/Lightweaverproductions/notes

https://www.facebook.com/Lightweaverproductions/info