Chapter 16
Behind The Spotlight Chapter 16
Making a movie was not simple in any way, shape, or form. Preparing for a movie was also far from easy, as every detail had to be meticulously planned and accounted for.
Before a movie could even begin production, it needed a solid concept, an idea that could evolve into a compelling story. In short, it needed a script, which served as the backbone of the entire production.
Most of the time, a production studio would hire a team of writers, led by a head scriptwriter, to create a plot through multiple layers of revisions and feedbacks. But because Wyatt was the only person handling the script, they didn't have anyone to polish or edit it, which made the process slower but also more personal. They were keeping their expenses minimal to ensure they had enough for filming and wouldn't overspend before they even started rolling the cameras.
They hadn't hired any writers simply because paying even one, let alone an entire team, was far beyond their budget.
Aside from the script, a storyboard was also essential to visually map out how each scene would unfold. A storyboard provided a visual representation of the scenes and served as a guide for the entire crew. Think of it like a comic strip or series of illustrations, but with the specific purpose of filmmaking, where each frame represented a shot or scene setup. It had to follow the sequence of the plot to make it easy to understand and translate into actual footage on set.
Wyatt had graduated from film school, so he knew how to make a story flow naturally with strong visuals and pacing. Directors typically participated in storyboard creation since they were the ones who envisioned the film and had to guide the camera in bringing that vision to life.
As for Wyatt's storyboard... His drawing skills were average at best, but his drawings clearly demonstrated an understanding of what needed to be filmed. That made them passable enough to structure each scene. Wyatt actually spent most of his days polishing the drawings to ensure they were concise with the vision he had for the movie and coherent enough for the crew to follow without confusion.
Once the script and storyboard were completed, they needed funding to move the project from paper to screen. Wyatt and Collin had already tackled that part.