And The Word Became Footage (page 2)

Writing the World

Making creative use of the camcorder takes a great deal of thought, talent and energy.

A still camera in hand doesn't make Ansel Adams. Pen alone won't produce Moby Dick. And turning on a motion picture camera won't make you John Huston.

Before producers can plan, directors auteur, actors emote, or distributors deal, there must first be a story. The writer is the prime creator. Everybody else functions as recreators.

Writers have the original vision. They create new worlds, and imbue those worlds with laws, gods, people and machines.

Writers create a mythical planet from which a child escapes to Earth able to "leap tall buildings at a single bound." Writers send spaceships to the heart of the sun, walk obsessed detectives through the heart of New York. They bring lovers together on the streets of a never-never Las Vegas where fantasy blends with reality.

A few writers begin with an idea and let it carry them as far as possible. Most outline their stories carefully to determine the beginning, middle and end. Outlines provide answers to holes and inconsistences. Many writers develop character biographies before a story is written. These elements may find their way into the script and become part of the narrative.

Outlines and biographies aren't absolutes. The creative process evolves. Imagination ought to allow for surprises along the way. Every world operates by its own set of …