The horror/comedy film, STEAMED!, co-written by Beverly Bonner and Dan Fiorella, is making the rounds on the film festival circuit. How did it come together?
After several months of writing and re-writing the script, I was getting antsy to get a reaction to it from someone other than Beverly. At the time, I was attending a writer's workshop at NYU, where alumni could give their scripts to a group and we would read them aloud (like out loud, only classier). I hadn't written anything new in a while and did want to get a script before the group, otherwise what was I doing there? I pitched the idea of bringing the script to the group to Beverly. She loved the idea...for awhile. I made the copies (thanks OPCO), entered my name onto the waiting listed and...waited. I got a slot for July 2017. I contacted Beverly so she could attend. Granted, that was a risk, but what's the worse that could happen? Her commandeering the workshop? Now that I think of that, yes, that should have been a concern.
Then she started getting nervous. She feared the draft wouldn't include her latest changes. That was one thing she was always concerned about, keeping her contributions in when, in fact, all I did was incorporate her changes into the script, reformat it back into standard script format, fix the fonts and dump the clip art. There was no way I was bringing her version of the script to a scriptwriters group. She wondered if the group would do a decent job with the script. I had to remind her it wasn't a backer's audition, it was just cold reading, a chance for US to hear the script aloud (although I properly said "out loud") and let us get a feel for how it sounded.
Welp, the evening for the reading came. It was only a small group of members that evening and a distressingly low number of the regulars. New people who were only there because their work was going up. That was one of the frustrating things about writing groups; people only show up when their work is being read (but that's a complaint for another day.) Oh, and Beverly didn't make it. Fortunately, I recorded the event on my mini iPad:
Then she started getting nervous. She feared the draft wouldn't include her latest changes. That was one thing she was always concerned about, keeping her contributions in when, in fact, all I did was incorporate her changes into the script, reformat it back into standard script format, fix the fonts and dump the clip art. There was no way I was bringing her version of the script to a scriptwriters group. She wondered if the group would do a decent job with the script. I had to remind her it wasn't a backer's audition, it was just cold reading, a chance for US to hear the script aloud (although I properly said "out loud") and let us get a feel for how it sounded.
Welp, the evening for the reading came. It was only a small group of members that evening and a distressingly low number of the regulars. New people who were only there because their work was going up. That was one of the frustrating things about writing groups; people only show up when their work is being read (but that's a complaint for another day.) Oh, and Beverly didn't make it. Fortunately, I recorded the event on my mini iPad:
In the end, the reading went fine. Of course there was the usual odd ball critiques (1920's art film?). That's always the deal with script groups. Everyone has an opinion and not necessarily a constructive one. But weirdly there was one excellent point made; the broccoli needed a character arc. It sounds stupid, but why is the broccoli attacking everyone around her but not her? There were glimpses of why in this draft, but it was here that we (I) realized the broccoli needed a reason to turn on the comic in the end. I could organically build on it from what was already in the story. Beverly's character was a little TOO fond of certain vegetables in the produce stand (oh, the sexual innuendoes!) So I went with that. The broccoli loves Beverly. It's a classic horror/monster theme. The whole character was in one of the original titles, "Stalked." We just had to have a scene where the broccoli realizes the Beverly doesn't love it back. Even Beverly handed me the scene to do that without realizing it! She wanted to include an homage to "Basket Case" where the neighbor keeps asking Beverly's character "What's in the basket?" Right out of that movie. And then...a head of cauliflower drops out. And this would trigger the broccoli stalk!
I started work on a fourth draft, making sure I told her it was based on her "third draft." I finished it up in August, just in time for Beverly's fundraiser party! She'd been busy organizing this to raise capital for the shoot. I missed the party. It was on a Sunday afternoon. I couldn't get away for that. And why would I go? I contributed the script and felt that was enough (plus, I didn't have any extra cash lying around). I'm still cranky about stuff. It's a character flaw. I never asked what she raised, but she seemed satisfied. She was able to chip in for copyright and guild registration fees, so that was something. Then, a year passed.
Satisficed with the draft, she began gearing up for production. Slowly but surely, she started lining up her ducks. She brought in her acting friends. He advertised for extras. She assembled a crew. All while running her workshops and get stage shows on their feet. There were also health issues I found out about later. Then in June 2018, she held a cast reading (which I totally missed for vacationing reasons). The plan was now to begin shooting November 2018. The first day of shooting was scheduled for November 15 at the Broadway Comedy Club. It was a work day, so I decided I would take a 1/2 day and head uptown and see the shoot. I get up there and...no shoot. It had been cancelled and rescheduled. No one told me. Beverly was there, however and we got to talk face-to-face for the first time in ages. Resigned to my luck, I didn't bother getting too upset about the change in the schedule (it got me out of work) and not being informed. Beverly was a go-getter, but not the most organized person I knew.
But shooting would begin soon...
I started work on a fourth draft, making sure I told her it was based on her "third draft." I finished it up in August, just in time for Beverly's fundraiser party! She'd been busy organizing this to raise capital for the shoot. I missed the party. It was on a Sunday afternoon. I couldn't get away for that. And why would I go? I contributed the script and felt that was enough (plus, I didn't have any extra cash lying around). I'm still cranky about stuff. It's a character flaw. I never asked what she raised, but she seemed satisfied. She was able to chip in for copyright and guild registration fees, so that was something. Then, a year passed.
Satisficed with the draft, she began gearing up for production. Slowly but surely, she started lining up her ducks. She brought in her acting friends. He advertised for extras. She assembled a crew. All while running her workshops and get stage shows on their feet. There were also health issues I found out about later. Then in June 2018, she held a cast reading (which I totally missed for vacationing reasons). The plan was now to begin shooting November 2018. The first day of shooting was scheduled for November 15 at the Broadway Comedy Club. It was a work day, so I decided I would take a 1/2 day and head uptown and see the shoot. I get up there and...no shoot. It had been cancelled and rescheduled. No one told me. Beverly was there, however and we got to talk face-to-face for the first time in ages. Resigned to my luck, I didn't bother getting too upset about the change in the schedule (it got me out of work) and not being informed. Beverly was a go-getter, but not the most organized person I knew.
But shooting would begin soon...
