I'm trying to write a movie about someone, should the years vary or stay in one year?

Question

and if so what years.

Answer 1

depends on what the movie focus is...

Answer 2

I would keep it simple by doing a one year thing, but if you're planning on doing some kind of serious romantic thing, it's good to drag it out a couple of years. Or even if you are planning on doing some kind of comedy I always find it funnier to see how they looked when they were younger to now. i.e Just Friends.

Answer 3

It depends on the perspective of the film. Is it a biographical figure? Are you showing us their childhood and their lives? Is their childhood relevant to the overall story of whom they became? Do you have enough scenes from their younger days to even bother? If so, are they compelling? If you answered the last four questions "yes", I would say vary the years. But keep them linear (in a straight line). By saying this, I mean start with their early childhood, then move forward directly into young adulthood when the really unusual, important and interesting things in his or her life began to happen. Focus on important meetings with people who altered their lives, led them to what made them important, or betrayed or shattered them.

Always keep your main character human. Show them as imperfect; illuminate both the great and the bad. Don't be afraid to show them at their weakest and lowest, and the moments they doubted themselves and felt "abandoned by God, abandoned by friends, abandoned by wife/husband or family, and without faith". Look up "dark night of the soul" and make sure you include one of these from your subject's life in the script. Films without one don't do very well, fail to touch an audience, and miss Oscars.

A good example of a film that shows someone's early years is "Ray", directed by Taylor Hackford. It shows Ray Charles's early life, presents a (probably fictional) account of him looking at glass bottles against the sun realizing he's losing his sight, and shows his mother as a powerful childhood figure who gave him his undefeatable sense of self-belief - which, as you continue to watch the film, serves him well as he confronts racism, discrimination against the blind, his drug addiction, controlling record label executives, and ultimately, himself. "Ray" is a great blueprint for you to use in writing your film. Don't be afraid to use it. We all copy things.

If the movie is not about a biographical figure, and they have become interesting to you for recent events in their life, I would say stay in one year and in fact lock yourself down to one single event, one that illustrates to you and to your audience what makes that person who or what he or she is. Remember, you only have two hours to show us what is so compelling about this person. Make them count.

Hope this was helpful.

Answer 4

it depends on what the "movie" is about.. good luck though