Step #1 - The Screenplay

There are a number of elements that make up a successful film. Electric acting performances, exotic set pieces, bulimic actresses with serious emotional baggage, and every so often...a good story.


A lot of your big-budget Hollywood action fare can scrape by with a mediocre screenplay as long as TNT and T&A are in no short supply. We, on the other hand, have neither the scratch nor the requisite insurance to pay for either, so we'll be relying on the pen, rather than the sword/nuclear explosion to carry our little flick.

As Stephen (no F. initial necessary) mentioned in his last post, the script for Ink began in 2004. This is not to say that I've been writing this story for the last 3 years, though it's difficult to really define when you begin and end the writing of a screenplay. In truth, I've been writing this thing a small piece at a time (in my head) every day for that long.

Since 2004, the script has gone through a number of major changes. In fact, only a few elements remain from that original 60 page endeavor. The first pages of that early script are truly my first attempts at writing for the screen and it's no surprise once you've read them. Over the years, I've studied screenwriting and screenwriters and with every new lesson learned, new changes are made. It may seem odd that a film that will be made with the spare change we're able to scrape from our sticky car floormats and proverbial couch cushions would receive such careful attention to its script, but that, I think, is our most valuable asset. There are no vampires, no car chases, no high-wire martial arts displays nor supersonic dogfights over the Atlantic, but what we do have is 110 pages of thoughtful comedy, interesting characters, and a story that aims to amuse as well as inspire (or at the very least irritate, depending on your social sensibilities).

So what's it about? Ink is the story of Everett, a man in his early-20's, as he learns what it means to commit to his job, girlfriend, and best bud over the course of one day working as an apprentice at a local tattoo shop. Sound like fun? I hope so. If that's not enough to entice you, we've got wit and wisecracks that cover topics like: deviant sexual habits, Catholic cannibalism, Robert Shaw, leet-speak (a.k.a., geek shorthand), the bloody war between FedEx and UPS, the Jesus, gay marriage, infidelity, the Google effect, and the luxury that is electricity. Yeah, now you're interested.

Along with all that, you're getting a good story about a guy learning what it means to commit. Whether you're committing yourself to your career, your lady-love, or your best boy, it's a common problem for most guys in their early-20's and it doesn't get much funnier than this...unless you can afford Will Ferrel or a monkey.

We'll talk more about this later and perhaps I'll toss in an excerpt from the script to keep things interesting.

Until then, cheers. Check back soon.