Orlindo Frick, the other “owner” of Whiteworms, and I have decided to resurrect our little company. The plan is to produce a short film that will (hopefully) get us a few meetings. In these meetings, we want to have something solid to show, which is why we’re also working on a feature-length animated movie screenplay. Orlindo is focusing on the short film, while I’ve started work on the feature.
This project is incredibly important to me, so I’m doing everything I can to make sure the screenplay is as strong as possible when it’s finished. I don’t want to go into too much detail—no spoilers—but I’d like to share how I’ve approached the project.
Very early on, I had a small idea. Since it’s an animated movie, I started by going through the list of animals that haven’t been done to death already. Then, I decided on a time and place for the story. To be honest, all I had at first was one scene—a scene I saw very clearly. It’s by no means a key moment in the movie, but it helped me find the essence of the story.
For a long time after that, nothing happened. I kept the idea in the back of my mind, but I wasn’t actively working on it. Then, at some point, something clicked. When I finally sat down to write the outline, the story seemed to flow naturally. Sure, there was (and still is) a lot missing, but the skeleton of the story was there—and it worked.
Since then, it hasn’t changed much in terms of structure. The current version is much clearer, more detailed, and better paced, but the major plot points are still the same.
I’m on track to finish the latest draft this week, and I think it’s a substantial improvement over the last one. After this draft and a longer conversation with Orlindo, my goal is to complete the first draft of the screenplay by the end of the year. It’s ambitious, but I think I can do it.
I’m genuinely psyched about this project, and I have a good feeling about it. This could very well be the screenplay that launches my career—or brings Whiteworms into the spotlight.
Wish me luck!
Greg
