Lights, Camera, Scriptwriter!

Published:

Mon 13 Dec 2010

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The journey from fan to scriptwriter.

"I'd always enjoyed Commando when I was a kid - my older brothers and I just loved it. The issues didn't feel like comics, they were more like little books. They were easy to get into and really enjoyable - good, straightforward, easy-to-digest reads.

"I originally got a job with DC Thomson writing weekly comic scripts as a sub-editor on The Dandy, a boy's humour weekly. However, I soon discovered that the Commando offices were in the same building! So taking advantage of the fact he was little more than a few flights of stairs away, I went to see George Low (then the Editor) and meekly asked if I could pitch an idea. No problem, he said!

"Like any other new writer, I initially submitted a synopsis of the story idea, which was about three pages long [and you can download it here]. A few weeks later, George asked me to come up and see him to talk it over. Obviously, a lot of our writers don't have that luxury! Talking it over, he suggested a few minor changes and was able to move onto the script itself. To get an idea of the house format, George passed me an existing script which I used as a kind of structural blueprint. Really, it was the same sort of thing any writer goes through on Commando - I just had a couple of perks because I happened to work in the same building.

"Speaking of perks, another was getting an early sneak peek of the completed story via the printer's proofs! Seeing my story brought to life was an amazing experience - the artist, Manuel Benet, did a brilliant job. Of course, there'd been some changes along the way - text has to be adjusted for clarity and better flow from page to page, but it was my story...and there it was! I'm still amazed to think that having read so many Commando books as a child I helped create one. Back then I'd never have believed it!

"Of course, I've made the process sound so simple, and it some ways it was - but the part where I go from "synopsis" to "script" took a fair bit of work! A Commando script is a demanding thing and needs dedication - it's 135 frames of picture description, dialogue, and descriptive caption text. Turning the synopsis into a cohesive, living, exciting story is hard work...but the final result is always worth it."

You can download the complete script of Scott's story here.