Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes
Last year I wrote a rough proposal for a feature length theatrical MOVIE as a means to get the creative juices flowing. If you want to read the proposal idea, see this: First Impact Movie Proposal (this proposal is simply there to get creative juices flowing)
If I’m going to make a movie, I’m aiming for producing something THEATER WORTHY. I’m talking theatrical release in domestic and international markets worldwide.
In response to the AlMaghrib Movie thread and emails going back and forth on the back end, I figured I’d take the opportunity to drive the development of the movie and take this bull by the horns.
I created a thread which I’ll continuously be updating with possible story ideas worth looking into for further development.
Either contribute a possible story idea, and state what Marketable Aspect(s) it has (see below for details on what Marketable Aspects are) or simply expand on an a story with further details. I’ll be updating the document regularly so give your input regularly as well.
Marketable Aspects of a Story
In order to develop an AWESOME SMACK DUNKIN’ story, research needs to be done.
Stories should marketable and be of interest to people. The more aspects of the points below a story holds, the more interest and attention gravitates towards it. When sharing yours (or other’s) stories keep in mind the points below.
- :: Timeliness :: A story that really doesn’t get old/irrelevant over time.
- :: Human Interest :: Something that really appeals to people’s heart strings :: ie: Durbah starting the “visit the old folks” project a while back as a result of “Breach of Covenant” seminar and the tears of gratitute that came forth from those elder people.
- :: Prominence :: Producers usually fulfill this by featuring a known star in the movie (ie;Starring Tom Cruise). For documentaries, this is done by having someone of popular on screen (ie;Michael Moore, Leo DeCaprio) or someone with a very sticky personality (ie;Morgan Spurlock-Supersize Me). Also, featuring stories around some prominant people also helps in this area.
- :: Novelty :: Stories that really haven’t been told and are new in their nature. Michael Moore taking a serious issue of 9-11, politics and Iraq War and making it into a satire was very novel in his movie “Farenheit 9/11” No one really took that topic and presented it in such a way, and the stories presented in that movie were stories not covered by other filmmakers and/or media outlets.
- :: Weirdness :: Some stories can have such attributes to them (ie; jinn/black-magic experience of LOG and LUL students classes that can be relayed — like the taweez w/ a calling to jinn names)
- :: Conflict / Conspiracy / Controversy :: Fights always attract attention. The AlMaghrib student getting run over in Toronto seminar by crazy racist guy, the nutty sufi guy from toronto (all the conflicts are in toronto
)
- :: Impact :: Gas prices going up or falling drastically, Fannie-Mae going defunct, Credit card companies going out of business — These are stories that affect a LOT of people. What specific story(s) of AlMaghrib or its students can be told that has affected a LOT of people.
- :: Proximity :: Stories can excite interest based on how they’re close to you geography. New Yorkers will give more interest to a story about 9-11 cops than people in Seattle Washington.
By the way, these elements of newsworthiness and marketability will be taught in detail in a future Message Mastery course launching March 09 inshaAllah.
– — – –
As much “hype” and excitement that goes into making a movie professionally for a theatrical audience — We need to have something REALLY developed in areas of:
- Story
- Budget plan
- Adequate Production Plan/Schedule
- Distribution Strategy
The STORY is the most important part of any production/movie/film. What’s the story(s) that we’re telling the audience that is really of any interest to the general muslim/non-muslim populous? The proposal that I had written up lacks tremendously in this area (but it helps in getting creative juices flowing).
Filming a documentary is a LOT of work. Doesn’t matter if its being made for a theatrical release or being made as something amaturish to pass around to family/friends — the work and time that goes into it is the pretty much the same. What’s different is WHERE (pre-production, production, post-production, or distribution) that time is spent.
In making a PROFESSIONAL Theater Worthy low-budget movie ($10,000,000 – $50,000), 80% of the work is in pre-production. This involves:
- Getting an idea
- Researching it for marketability and developing the story
- Outlining – Scripting
- Budgeting for producing the script
- Incoporating and funding/financing the movie
- Developing production schedule/plan
- Assembling team
- Executing plan officially moving into “Blink! Production“
For the moment we’re in the research phase and in the process of collecting story ideas that will be further looked into and developed based on the marketable aspects listed above.
Read this post again, see the thread I created on the AlMaghrib forums and the google document I made (both of which I’ll continuously be updating) and reply accordingly.