Harry Potter and the Final Draft...!

I'm writing THE screenplay.  You know, the one that is going to sell for thousands - if not millions - and means I don't have to worry about paying the rent ever again.  Because I can tell you, with rents as high as they are in London, it's a very big worry indeed!

I actually wrote the story for the screenplay when I was still at school in Birmingham.  That's a few years ago, believe me!  It's about a boy called George, who is 12 years old and when all the adults in the world disappear, including his parents, he has to find them and along the way, save the world. He's a bit of a wimp, but has certain powers that he knows nothing about although he learns how special he is as the story develops.

I turned this story, called George’s 7th Dimensions, into a film script when I managed to wangle my way onto the screenwriting option for my Masters degree.  This was about 8 years ago.  A former executive with the Hollywood film studio, Warner Brothers, got quite excited when he read the first act.  He told me the Harry Potter film franchise was coming to an end and he could see similarities between Harry and my George. I'd not read Harry Potter so couldn't really comment.  And it was only the first act because that was all I had to write for my Masters course.  The first act.  So that was all I did.

Then a few months ago I heard about the 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter and it reminded me of what the former Warner Bros exec had said.  He was comparing my script with Harry Potter.  A story that had made its struggling creator one of the richest women in the world.  I aint after that, of course.  Let’s face it, I’ll never be the richest woman in the world!  But having a  major player like my work and having a film made and sharing George and his foibles is Rather A Good Thing.  So I decided to try and get my finger out!

The point of this post though is not so much about how, once again, I’ve possibly looked a gift horse in the mouth then kicked its teeth in - but more about having decided to get the script finished, I then had to decide HOW to write it.  And what programme to use.

If you’ve listened to our podcast, (www.LondonLiteraryPubCrawl.com) you’ll know we get a lot of interest from other writers about the process of writing.  The hugely successful TV writer, Glen Chandler, who invented Scottish detective ‘Tagart’ (“There’s been a murder!”) just uses Word or any other programme. He doesn't think it’s important and didn't grow-up with screenwriting software.  But Final Draft seems to be the industry standard.  I’m working on a TV documentary script with chum Riaz and his go-to programme is FD.  It’s also horribly expensive though and when I updated my mac, it simply stopped working!  I found out I was not alone.  Marc Eliott, former Eastender and Holby City-er actor also writes and he had the same problem.  We compared our useless programmes over a pint one night.

What do you think?  Do you have a favourite writing programme?  Please let me know.  I’m writing this blog in Pages on a MacBook Air.

I sold an article though so I finally decided to take the plunge and upgrade Final Draft.   And I’m now putting the final touches to the last scenes and life has got easier.  Or has it?  FD has some cool features.  But when I tried a cast report, you can see from the photo what happened.  Characters names are in the left column.  Some names are repeated often and I can tell you there are not characters called EXT. DAY. ELSEWHERE.  And certainly there is no character called IT CAN NOT BE:

Where’s the pen and paper.

I’m doing something wrong.

Check out the character names.  Not sure how this happened...

THING 6 to do In London - SHOOT THE RIVER THAMES IN A DUCK!

THING 6 - SHOOT THE RIVER THAMES IN A DUCK!

There’s a very specific reason for including this in 52 Things To Do In London, because after 17th September, 2017, the Duck Tours in London will be no more! And it might be why this post is on time... ;-)

If you’ve not been to London, it might sound a little strange - but it’s a great idea, replicated in other cities around the world.

The company procured a few amphibious landing craft - half boat, half truck - turned them tourist friendly, painted them yellow then toured London.  Not only on the streets of the capital, they splashed-down into the Thames and carried on down the river.  Fairly unique.  They’ve had a bit of trouble lately, but they are ending because they are loosing their slipway. This is what their boss, Matt Watts, said on the website…

August 21, 2017 6:02 pm Published by Matt Watts
"We are sorry to advise that Thames Water has exercised its statutory rights and given notice to acquire our launch pad at Vauxhall.  This means, regretfully, London Duck Tours’ current business of carrying fare paying passengers on the River Thames must cease from 09.00 on Monday 18th September 2017 to make way for the construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
Managing Director of London Duck Tours, John Bigos said, “The 18th September will be a very sad day for the company, which was going from strength to strength, but it was vital not to delay construction of this much needed infrastructure project.”
“Tourists worldwide and Londoners will surely miss our iconic bright yellow DUKWs travelling around town. They have become a landmark in their own right.  I would like to thank our staff many of whom have been with LDT from the start and the 1.8 million passengers that have travelled on a London Duck Tour”.
We will be operating tours up to and including Sunday 17th September and we very much hope you will be able to take a tour before then.
Watch this space and we will update you on events in January 2018."

The fact they want us to look out for them in the new year may mean they have a cunning plan… to find another slipway, perhaps?  You can check ‘em out and book quack... I mean, quick at...

www.londonducktours.co.uk


BONUS PUB(S). Again by Nick..!

The Hole In The Wall.
5 Mepham Street
London SE1 8SQ
+44 20 7928 6196

There are not that many decent boozers down by the London Eye or the Duck Tours splash-down site.  It's not that kind of area. But for a real authentic London local, check out The Hole In The Wall.  It's situated under a railway arch across the road from Waterloo Station.  It's got a rugby themed front bar and a back bar with TVs and one-armed bandits.  The food is basic but okay.

To be honest, it's not the type of place you'd visit if, for example, you wanted to impress a first date.  Gastro pub it ain't.  But there have been locals drinking here for years and it was one of the first pubs to care about selling real ales when not many others bothered.  So it's a genuine offering.  In fact it's so traditional it doesn't even have a website!  If you want to know more, you'll have to phone.  Remember phone calls?


For a slightly more creative experience, walk a bit further round the corner to the beautiful Old Vic Theatre.  It was run by actor Kevin Spacey until recently and has more history than you can shake a stick at.  There’ll be a

 post about it later, but mainly it has two bars - Mark’s Bar for cocktails and craft beers, and the Penny Bar, artisan cafe by day and cultural boozer by night.


Unusually for London Theatre-land, both bars stay open late.  I bloody love The Old Vic.  You should too.  If you can resist the charms of The Hole.


Cheers!

Nick.
Writer. And occasional drinker.

Suggest your favourite things to do in London.