Others still, stand out as feats solely of technical majesty. For the movies of tenure, however, the movies that captivate and endure and catapult local industry, those whose whole remain greater than the sum of their parts, the structure on which they are built is common ground. Simply put, the base on which every good narrative picture is anchored is the script. The most spectacular special effects, the finest method acting, the noblest of intentions, and the biggest lump of money in the world will not make a great movie out of a bad script. For the breakthrough feature-length vehicle needed to establish San Diego as a viable home to consistent independent production, a weak script, as we've proven locally time and again, is the kiss of death.
Countless books claim privy to that revelation.
Syd Field's Screenplay is considered the bible of the trade, and any by Linda Seger remain required reading. Yet, no number of books combined will divulge the universal secret to writing a good script because the challenges each must face when attempting to do so are uniquely shaped by personal motives, capability and temperament. There is so much contradictory information available that the overwhelming volume of it all can be dulling to the creative senses. But there is a secret to writing a good story. The tools first.