We were invited over to Ray's for a visit this afternoon. A pleasant time was had by all.

jkt was just leaving - isn't it a small world (after all)?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Doug Spaulding,

Wow! He's even got a Quickdraw McGraw & BabaLouie lamp!

One of the main reasons we had this visit was to talk over a potential film project.

At the Bradbury Festival October last, I spoke with Michael Kelly, the producer, about submitting a short film for the next Festival (November 2008 in Ojai), and Mr B and I discussed possibilities. No firm decision was made and I'd like to canvass the group here to help me think of a story to use.

I'm looking for something short (fifteen pages or less), and relatively easy (cheap) to film. By easy, I mean something without a lot of special effects, scenery changes, and characters.

Suggestions?

Thanks.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Doug Spaulding,

quote:

Originally posted by Doug Spaulding:

Suggestions?

Thanks.

The Great Wide World Over There
Hail & Farewell
The Meadow
A Sound of Thunder (just kidding with this one!)

Thank you. I will bear these in mind.

I enjoyed a chuckle at the mention of your dinosaur suggestion, although it does need remade!

In 1996 when I and my family stopped by to visit with Ray, the table the Emmy on it was bare, that is with the exception of a lamp. I will post that photo soon. It appears, although I am not sure if there is a significance to the fact that Marguerite is no longer there to supervise, that there are more items in the formal sitting room than there were back then.

quote:

Originally posted by Doug Spaulding:

Suggestions?

Thanks.

What runtime, Doug?

Fifteen minutes or less. One page usually equates to about one minute.

'By the Numbers' - Tink

OK, thanks.

Sorry, Doug. I didn't realise 'By the Numbers' had already been filmed. (Ray Bradbury TV Theatre 1992)

Not listed on your site Phil!

quote:

Originally posted by tinkerbell:
Not listed on your site Phil!

It is and it isn't. That is to say, it IS listed on this page, but it ISN'T listed on this page.

I don't know why there's a discrepancy there; I must have mis-typed it. Well spotted!

I don't think Doug Spaulding should worry about whether a story has been filmed before. It's inevitable that the best ones have already been done. Of the ones I suggested, only The Meadow has yet to be filmed. One of the others (Great Wide World) was done very nicely on RBT; another one (Hail and Farewell) was done a little weakly on the same show.

I stand corrected, Phil. Thought that was too good a tale to have been missed. Low budget too. Is it available on DVD?

My vision is a British version - Merchant Ivory style - with a Jeremy Irons character in the lead, travelling through rolling English countryside. Not the sort of thing Doug had in mind, I should imagine.

quote:

Originally posted by tinkerbell:
My vision is a British version - Merchant Ivory style

I suppose the father figure in the story could be a stiff-upper lip British type, although I can't stand Merchant-Ivory type movies.

You can get all of the Ray Bradbury Theatres on DVD - do a search on Amazon. The boxed set is quite cheap (even cheaper if you buy it from a US supplier, because of the favourable exchange rate). They're only available as NTSC discs, however, so make sure your DVD player and TV can handle this before spending money.

Thanks for your help Phil. You're quite right; the Amazon boxed sets are a snip. Trouble is they're not compatible with my player. However, I notice I can buy a multi-region player for as little as £25, which is less than a bunch of flowers on Valentine's Day.

My boyfriend hates Merchant Ivory movies too - he says they're "girlie"!