Hey, there, everyone. I hope you're having a great day.
So at the last Netflix-Stage 32 Webinar, Anna Henry was telling us that movies can be made from any kind of intellectual property - even a self-help book! Well, that got me thinking...as a pharmacist-certfied hypnotherapist, I've been writing self-help books for years. (They don't always sell, but hey....I keep writing them. Lol.)
Anyway, with the upcoming biopic contest, I've decided to just transpose my self-book "Improve Your Moods with Self-Hypnosis" into screenplay format. That way, all I have to do is add some crazy-funny scenes of me in the psych hospital, and ta da!...there you go, a screenplay. Transposing my self-help book will be so much easier than starting from scratch with a screenplay outline, because I already outlined by my book years ago.
Anyway, just thought I'd pass that along.
Oh, and if any of you do want to read my book, I have it posted free on my blog. It's completely free - you don't even have to log in or anything to download it. And there are no ghost writers involved -- I wrote it all by myself. (Or, as Brian Regan would say...All By Myseeeeeelllllllffffff)
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Thank you for sharing! My publication The Continuation on my project page is a self help publication with a connection to a previous publication that is fiction based on real life. Similar to what you are proposing with your project.
Cool! I can't wait to see it!
Wow that's such a great idea. i can't wait to see how it shakes out.
Thanks!
Tasha - What is' fiction based on real life'? Would that be 'real life fiction'? Kinda like science fiction - which comes first - the science or the fiction?
Doug Nelson Searching for the Perfect Place is a bio pic turned fiction. Names have been changed to protect but the story is based on real life events. See my Developing Your First Novel Seminar on my project page to learn more.
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I remain confused. To me, a biographical pic is non-fictional - more documentary in style. You can change the names of the players to protect the guilty, but if you change any of the facts or actual events, then it becomes fiction. Your mileage my differ.
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Sorry Niki - I didn't mean to highjack your post.
Doug Nelson There is plenty of fiction based on real life.
There's a movie about Oliver Sacks treating patients with levdopa. It's based on his writing about his actual work. But the movie is not a documentary. It's not in a documentary style. And there is clearly fictional material in there. (Sacks was gay, that's left out entirely.)
Likewise the recent movie about sexual harassment at Fox. The film shows actual people. But the scenes are there to be good movie scenes, not to represent reality precisely.
The film explicitly says that some characters have been invented to represent real experiences but not based on a specific person. And it's not a documentary style.
Indeed, almost every biopic, every film based on actual events, makes up things.
So you may have your own personal rules about what's fiction and what's fact. But movies don't follow your personal rules.
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Doug Nelson
I will answer in two parts.
Searching for the Perfect Place is the title of a biography that was turned into fiction. The fiction is the names. There are a few names (celebrities) that have not been changed. Throughout my life, individuals suggested that I write about my life story. Basically, that my story was worth writing about.
You indicated that there is fiction and nonfiction. True but novels that are adapted to film have been changed substantially often. Example
Indecent Proposal. I saw the movie and read the book in Spanish while living in Spain. The only common thing was the money offer. The millionaire was Arab. He video taped the sex scene. And the ending was completely different which I won’t spoil for those who haven’t read the book. Creativity and who pays for the film has the decision making ability for the ultimate direction of how the film will be made.
Sorry Niki, but it's starting to get interesting (sort of).
Edward - I don't understand how fiction can be based on real life - real life is factual. The fact that 'Sacks was gay' is (I assume) a fact that was left out of the story because the writer believed that it was irrelevant to the storyline. It's true that most films based on actual events make up things that the writer believes will make the story more compelling - the writer is intentionally misleading the audience.
Tasha - Really? 'True but novels that are adapted to film have been changed substantially often." implies to me that novels are nonfiction but once adapted to film become fiction. I'm sure it's just me, but I don't follow the reasoning. You're getting into a very interesting topic that relates to social behavior founded on media fiction.
Again Niki, I apologize for the diversion. I'll stop now.
Doug Nelson Whether or not you understand something is not a judgment on that thing.
I don't understand nuclear fission--that doesn't mean it doesn't exist, doesn't stop it from happening.
Thank You Niki!
Doug Nelson
Response
Last night I saw another version of Swordfish. I figure it must be the European version. Why nudity and language. Two examples
Scene in trailer where Halle Berry’s character Ginger
Says
I didn’t come all this way to shine your shoes.
European version
I didn’t come all this way to give you a blow job.
Job interview with John Travolta for hacking
While he is completing the interview with a gun to his head, the blonde is giving him a blow job.
I have seen this movie countless times in the USA but never the language or nudity (Halle Berry topless, which is pretty normal in Europe)
I saw it on Tubi by the way.
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"My God, I've created a monster! A monster, I tell you!"........... Lol. Merry Christmas, guys!
Niki - the devil made me do it but I'll stop taunting 'em for awhile. Mary Christmas to you.
Doug - it's ok. It just cracked me up. Lol.