The Challenge

The challenge was set; a one minute screenplay using three distinctive characters. For someone who has always found difficulty in limiting the scope of ideas, my latest challenge was certainly one that would prey on my weaknesses. I was given seven days to put this script together, and instructed that it must contain dialogue, ten shots, and take place within a single setting.  When talking to my peers, it became clear to me that for some, the simple act of idea generation for this task would prove tricky. For myself, it was not the genesis of ideas that I have struggled with, it is the ability to contain them.

There’s a note on my phone containing dozens of ideas. Feature films, short films, TV series and even documentaries are listed here in various stages of development. For someone with so many ideas then, why should this be a difficult challenge? My creative flaw has always been having small ideas, or to put it another way; preventing each idea I have from spiralling into something bigger. Whilst the page-per-minute screenwriting rule is not an exact science, I decided to adopt it for this project, so as to keep myself within the rules.

After considering a number of ideas I would consider suitable to a short, the answer suddenly became clear to me. Many of the greatest short stories that could fit within my time constraint take the form of jokes. I decided to adapt the classic ‘Three Wishes Joke’ to a modern and relatable format, as it seemed to fit all of the criteria set.  The original story requires four characters, as a magical genie needs to exist to interact with the protagonists. I shunned this character, and replaced him with a ‘magical medallion’, which allowed the story to fit better into my proposed setting: a bar.

On reflection, the dialogue of the script is not my best, but I achieved the task set for me. Having a series of restrictions to adhere to meant that my final script reached exactly the one minute mark, a single extra letter would have taken me onto a second page! I’ve always been cautious of any ending that allows room for a sequel or spin-off story too, as my mind will inevitably create further scenarios to enhance the original world I’ve created. The ‘Three Wishes’ story builds towards a punchline that resets the universe of the story and therefore cannot be followed up. Whilst my choice of story was a definite aid in my mission, the challenge itself encouraged me to think laterally and therefore overcome the mental block that has troubled my writing for years.

#Reflection