FMS Major Aubrey Wilson has written the first half of their feature film, Knockout!, as part of FMS 198. The screenplay follows a group of high school students who, in rebellion against their strict Catholic school, create an underground boxing club on campus. Through the script, Aubrey tackles the themes of community building, self-expression and how identifies can form despite a restrictive environment. With the hope of pursing a career in screenwriting after graduation, Aubrey sees FMS 198 as an opportunity to push themselves to turn work-in-progresses into final products.
What was the inspiration behind your creative project, and how did it evolve during the production process?
Aubrey: I think a lot of the inspiration for my creative project came from my own personal interests and wants. Screenwriting is something that's really personal, so I was able to come up with the plot line through a lot of my personal values. One of the things my screenplay centers is boxing, my favorite sport. It's definitely something that I love a lot and have done on and off, but can't do as often anymore on account of a handful of concussions. Alongside boxing, though, the deeper thing that my screenplay deals with is community in spite of suppression, and how deeply both that community and suppression can impact people. In a society that lately has encouraged so much hyper-independence and rejected empathy, building community with one another is more important than ever.
Can you walk us through your creative process, from initial concept to final product?
A: To create an initial concept, I find the general topic I want to write about. For the sake of this explanation, let’s say a coffee shop owner downtown. In everyone’s life, there are certain people they would know simply because of the space they exist in. The people a coffee shop owner would know are: at least one regular customer, the owner(s) of the shop(s) next door, possibly the person they buy ingredients or decor from, and maybe even an employee or two. From there, I can decide on the genre and situation I want them to be in and build out how each character would react to the situation presented based on their personalities, beliefs, and life situations. These natural and logical reactions can help me figure out the events within your story and help me get outlining. I like to write as much of the outline as possible before beginning to actually draft, but if I have the inspiration to write a specific scene, it’s important to use that- I just remember, I’ll likely have to change things in it in the future. After writing a first draft, I often print it out and annotate it, forcing myself to really read it and see if the scenes are going in the right direction. Sometimes I even create scene maps for each character to see if all their actions in each scene track and make sense throughout the entire screenplay. It’s also important to me that I have other people read it– friends, professors, anyone who's willing and will be honest. Getting a second opinion can help you either find things that need to be changed or understand what you really do not want to change. Then, I can begin rewrites. This part can be repeated as many times as I wish, but it is important for me to take time between each rewrite, so I don’t start assuming I know and remember everything about each version. The piece is done whenever I feel it says everything I want it to say the way I want it to, but there are two important things to remember; scripts are changed constantly even during production, so it can take many editions to reach that final draft; but reaching some kind of ‘perfection’ is impossible. What's important is the script and story is told the way I want it to be told.
What were the biggest challenges you faced during the project, and how did you overcome them?
A: The biggest challenge I faced during this project was time management. With graduation coming up and a full study list of classes, I was incredibly busy, but creating deadlines for myself between each assignment and scheduling out what I wanted to do when. I kept weekly bulk-to-do lists that had everything I had going on that week, and then scheduled each task to specific days / personal deadlines that ensured that I kept up with all the work.
Which professors or mentors were instrumental in guiding you through this project, and how did they support you?
A: I worked on this screenplay with the help of Professor Mimura. I found his support incredibly helpful because not only was he well-versed in the topic I was writing about (boxing) and able to provide me with readings on the subject and correct me when necessary, but he also was just a genuinely really enthusiastic and supportive reader. He enjoyed talking to me about my work and showed real interest that kept me motivated to keep pushing, even if I was getting tired. He definitely was a majorly motivating energy throughout the quarter. Outside the professor I was personally working with throughout this project, Professor Dauchan’s Intermediate Screenwriting class helped me refine those little lessons that I had been missing throughout my screenwriting career. I’ve been studying film and screenwriting for almost a decade now, but some lessons are best learned in a writer's room, something I never had access to until her class. Her class is well-structured, and she makes sure we all understand what's going on, so it was definitely pivotal in helping me keep going in the right direction.
What advice would you give to other FMS students who are considering taking on a similar creative project?
A: My biggest piece of advice would be to have two goals: an ideal goal and a realistic goal. Having that ideal goal can be a huge motivator in getting you to keep moving and working, but it’s important to remember that a lot of parts of life can be incredibly unpredictable, and not achieving an ideal goal does not mean you have done nothing. Having a realistic goal, what you want to accomplish at minimum, can help highlight that progress that you’ve made. It helps remind you that more can always be done later on, and no matter what, progress is progress.