A PSYCHEDELIC REWRITE
Two nights ago, after discussing the draft screenplay of EMME MANZAREH (Just One Scene) with film reviewer and writer Ahmed Nadeem on whose short story it was based upon, I have started rewriting it today.
Like commented by him, I have rearranged couple of early scenes and removed all of the dialogues from them. They indeed look fantastic now. I have also extended some more scenes especially a scene that calls for quick cut psychedelic visuals that comes with psychedelic music and added some snorricam shots for three more scenes. Yes, changing this way has really added more meaning and much needed darkness to those scenes and the screenplay as a whole. To get inspired while writing the needed psychedelic visuals, I kept playing Help by Deep Purple and The End by The Doors. These two songs really chilled me and opened up my thinking cap making me easier to write. Says who only a joint gives hallucinations? Now I know those songs are called psychedelic for a reason.
Anyway, since this scene required a psychedelic soundtrack in the background, I wrote on using Deep Purple’s Help which was very fitting in every way. But I didn’t think this song could be added without a copyright approval. So I had to seek an alternative. I discussed the issue with Nadeem over the phone immediately. I suggested if he knew any local bands playing local psychedelic songs. He said he’d work on it and an hour later, he mailed me three songs written and performed by a local band called Gianscore. Their music was heavily influenced by The Doors. Their song ‘Veynekay’ which replaced Deep Purple’s Help, felt much more appropriate. And I’m going to use the other two songs for two other scenes. I have already noted these scenes in my new outline. Once pre-production starts, I’m going to suggest whoever is producing to negotiate with Gianscore on using their songs for the film. They were a revelation.
Other new changes brought were addition of a montage like short scenes on how the relationship with the three central characters developed. And this build-up comes inside another psychedelic song and I’m going to use one of the two remaining songs of Gianscore. That’s up to where I stopped the re-write for today and took a rest and decided to blog about the whole experience.
As I type this post, my excitement level keeps rising. The montage sequence I outlined looks flirty and connected by visuals from one scene to another. The screenplay is now looking more solid, dark and of course, psychedelic. Thanks to Nadeem for his constructive suggestions.
On other news, Dark Rain Entertainment (DRE) honcho, Mohamed Ali Moger is yet to recover from his flu and have a go at the draft screenplay. But now I want him to be reading the rewrite. That leaves me with keeping my fingers crossed for few more days. Just to give my fingers some rest, I type off this post for now.
Cheers!
Mahdi Ahmed 
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