Since June, I have been in the screen writing zone almost every week. And as any newbie will tell you, soap opera writing is total mindfuck. If you watch soaps and eveything seems fairly easy breezy, then you probably can't imagine the numerics on my end:
5 episodes
2-5 writing days
90 sequences
100 pages
10++ characters with
10++ different voices
Anthology writing is a different story. If soaps suck the life out of me, anthologies (or series) drive me mad with its brevity and precision. Every word is important, every line is swift and direct. A character doesn't utter nonsense. And the scenes--the scenes are written like hand drawn portraits of moving imagery.
Cinematic. Well, almost.
When I was chosen to be a writer for Teen Gen, GMA's new youth-oriented show, I was doubly nervous. The show airs once a week in light happy tones (in nostalgic TGIS fashion). Sure, the number of sequences are drastically lower than soaps but writing an episode takes two mind boggling days. The characters are more distinct and the page limit is stricter than average.
When my writing turn came, I immediately resumed the role of an insecure bitch. But after some revisions, a few red marks, and a dozen sloth attacks, the job was finally sealed and delivered to the production team with a sloppy kiss. Like the opening sequence I crafted for the episode, the writing process was one crazy ride in a topdown car, with fireworks bursting in the raven skies.
So when I saw this printed version at the creative meeting earlier...
I really am wonderfully ecstatically and orgasmically blissful. Nothing beats the feeling of doing a job well done. Oh and yeah, am on my way back from Pluto. :) - 12/6/2012
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