Okay, I am terribly embarrassed that I have skipped yet another day. But I am confident I can make it up again to stay on track for the 30 days. I will just have to have two days where I write two scripts in one day... lol. Anyways, todays script was totally just for fun. I have been meaning to write something along these lines about this character for far too long. At least a year and a half and now I have finally done it.
When I was at university I met a very dear friend who shared my love for the weird. Especially the weird... and creepy. I would play the guitar in our student house and he would make weird noises and movements in response to it. It was so funny but also had the potential to be scary. In our final year we booked a studio at our student theatre and filmed something truly spectacular in its simplicity and weirdness. Needless to say it sparked a lot of questions from our friends but also a desire to see more.
So that is exactly what we did and 'It's not safe' - the series was born. Three other episodes, including a Christmas special, have been made and all three are unique in their approach to bring the scares and laughs. The main villain of all of the episodes is a pulsating, demonic and screeching creature called the Banihask. (It's basically just my friend in a jumper and trackies). The Banihask and its mythology is just so much fun to write for because there is literally no limit to where the character can go or what its origins are. It lives in an expanded universe of its own and that is where todays story comes into it.
When we would mess around my friend and I would think about the potential for other characters. "Maybe there is an overlord who rules over and controls the Banihask?" We played with the overlord for a while but after long we came up with something a lot better, funnier and way creepier. Grandma Phyllis. A sweet old lady who just wants to make Muffins for children. But really she is a demon who wants to eat you. The idea has always been for me to play Grandma Phyllis but I do wonder if I can take the hit to my dignity! Regardless, the character has been gagging for a storyline of their own and now its here. I actually think this one is quite creepy.
But, okay. Lets bring it back to the purpose of this blog. What am I learning. Well, an issue I found is trying to establish what characters want in these shorts I am writing. I don't think I really address that in this draft. What does grandma want? I am not sure that is coming across. What she, or I suppose the demon inside her, wants is ultimate power and control. Yeah, all she says is she wants to make muffins. Work to be done there.
I guess looking outwardly at all of this though. At this challenge and this blog is that I can actually write. I am not saying that I can write well but, what I mean is that I have the capacity to write more than I thought I could before. I also feel that I am learning to just enjoy the process of it more. It is so much fun when you can get lost in the script you are writing without too much concern for the structure in your notes because the structure is clear in your head as your are writing. You just get down what is in your head because these are all just first drafts! After this I will have 30 scripts to go back, scrap, change and improve and that is very exciting for me.
Anyway, todays offering is just a bit of fun and I enjoyed finally bringing Grandma Phyllis out of my head. Before reading this though, I do suggest watching some of the original "its not safe" content. I will link it below next to the script.
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