Locking your Script
I received an interesting question via Twitter last night, but instead of just answering it I decided a full post on the subject. The question, from Luke Stewart, was “Do producers insist you ‘lock’ your script at some point, or is locking a script a myth? I’m feeling creatively restricted by it”. The short answer is, of course, “yes and no”. Mostly it depends on what your relationship with the producer is. Some producers will be there to back up your vision of the script no matter what and you can basically set whatever rules you want. Other producers will bring you onto the project and you become more of a hired gun there to deliver the film as the producer has envisioned it in the way they want.
Lloyd Kaufman for example shoots his films in linear order according to the script. He’ll shoot page 1, then page 2 and then page 3 in the proper order, even if he has to return to the same location multiple times. The reason he does it this way is that it allows him to change the story during production and his films never go according to script, the script is constantly being rewritten. Another example is Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park where he changed the ending to the T-Rex attacking the raptors in the middle of production.
Why You Want to Lock the Script
The thing about the above two examples is that it’s more than likely the scripts were locked in pre-production. The reasoning is simple, the first AD and producer need to have everything locked down for props, make-up, locations, lighting etc. Without having a finalized script to breakdown, a complete roadmap for the production cannot be made and then you’ll be Lost in La Mancha!
The key is balance, lock the script down when it’s ready. If you’re feeling the script isn’t ready yet let the producer know what your concerns are. If the problem is you’re not sure what to do with the script, you may not have found it’s spine yet. A great tool for that is my post on finding a script’s Moral Premise. But at some point in time, you’re going to have to lock it and break it down so you can plan the production accordingly.
The flip side of that is you don’t have to be a slave to the script, you can make changes during the production: change lines and rework scenes & shots because you’ve had a great idea or problems have occured. Infact, problems will occur and changes will have to be made! If you’ve created a film that turned out exactly as you expected and exactly to the script, try walking on water while you’re at it, you’ve performed a miracle.
So locking a script is both a myth and reality. Yes producers will want you to lock a script down before production but no, you don’t have to be a slave to that script during production. Remember, a film is written 3 times: once as a script, once during production and once during editing.
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