The Beginning of the Middle

SCENE 1

INT: BEDROOM - 1:15 am

The BEDROOM is dimly lit and rather messy. On the wall we see POSTERS of various films and bands and a cluttered NOTICEBOARD filled with PHOTOGRAPHS and various pieces of crumpled paper. In the middle of the room, pushed up against the WALL there is a DESK. Sitting at this DESK there is a hunched over FIGURE, a male. His face is light by the light being emitted from his LAPTOP. This is ALEX. He appears dishevelled, disgruntled, deeply in thought and apparently hasn't shaved in days. He leans back in his CHAIR to observe his work. The SCREEN is blank.

ALEX

Bugger.

CUT TO:

This is a rough description of my life over the past months, possibly even years.

Lets back track...

As far back as I can remember I've always wanted to be a filmmaker. Actually, that's not strictly true; I can remember back to a time when I wanted to be a snowboarder. Of course a natural lack of balance and general fear of falling over soon ended that dream. Also, it's not very hilly or snowy where I live.

Anyway,

Yes, filmmaking is my dream. Not just filmmaking though; my interest is in directing and writing. This all stems from my love for writer/director Kevin Smith, the creative genius behind films such as Clerks, Dogma and erm, Clerks 2.

The Problem, however, is that I am possibly the worlds greatest procrastonater. I come up with ideas all the time (many of them half-decent, bizarrely), but I never commit them to paper.

I've written several scripts in my life. All of them either short films or sections of feature films. All of them written for educational purposes. You see, I am a film student. And, while I love scriptwriting (coupled with editing, it's my favourite part of moviemaking), the only occasions that I have actually sat down and written something have been when it's been work that I've had to hand in.

That is my tragedy: I can only seem work when I know that I have to. That and I can't seem to be able to grow a moustache.

So, you might be reading this thinking, "Why is writing a blog when he should be writing a script?" The answer, my angry young friend, is that I have to. That's right, part of my course at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth involves me having to keep a regular blog.

Now, I saw this as an excellent opporunity to kill two birds with one stone; if I choose to write my blog about my progress in getting to write a screenplay, structuring an idea for a film, simply developing a character or whatever, I could fool my brain into actually believing that I have to write something film related otherwise I'd fail my module!

Confused? You will be...

At least, I hope you will be. As I'll be making regular posts on here (at least once a week). Where I'll talk about ideas I've had, events in my day to day life that influenced said ideas and pay homage to something or someone that has influenced me on the course of my chosen career. No, not erstwhile vagabondism; screenwriting!

Please feel free to leave me comments or whatever. I welcome praise, critiscism and lonely young women.

Alex.