ZOOMERS NOTES
Dear Reader
I have written copious notes relating to ZOOMERS, and will share these with you (if you are interested) AFTER you have read the first drafts of Eps # 1 and # 2.
At this point what matters most is whether you want to keep turning pages, intrigued to find out what happens next; whether you find the characters sufficiently compelling to want to know more about them. After all, this is the only thing that will be of concern to viewers when they decide to keep viewing or switch to another channel or entertainment platform.
All that is relevant now are the following:
(1) The germinal idea for ZOOMERS came to me only a little over 3 weeks ago. I have been leaping before looking, or whatever the right metaphor is to describe freestyle writing that is akin to musicians jamming.
(2) It will never be necessary for any two actors to be in the same space at the same time – thus adhering to government edit and common sense during this pandemic.
(3) A director, cameraperson & sound-recordist (all roles filled by one person) does need to be in the same space, or separated only by whatever barrier is required to guarantee that there is no possibility of either the actor or the director/cameraman infecting each other. Actors and Director(s) need, to be sure, to have been tested for Coronavirus. Safe filming of the kind suggested here (and necessary, of course) can be achieved in a studio, with custom built sets. Or on location. More on this later.
(4) ZOOMERS can be produced for a comparatively small budget. This is relevant at a time when not only are our national broadcaster and SBS struggling with budget cuts, but so too are the free-to-air broadcasters struggling in these the early days of a pandemic that looks likely to disrupt normal production for many months at least.
(5) Zoomers is not just a low budget series of the kind that can be shot during a pandemic. It is also a template for a whole range of different kinds of drama that can be produced at a time when it is not possible for actors and crew members to be in the same physical locality together. There is no end to the kinds of stories that can be told in a format similar to the one I have adopted with Zoomers. What is required are good screenplays. There are opportunities here, during this pandemic, for screenwriters to do their best work.
(6) Given the age of the central characters, and the world that the story inhabits, ZOOMERS will not only benefit enormously from the input of young screenwriters, but will also provide them with a vehicle in which they can hone their craft.
(7) As with popular soaps and series (Think “Twin Peaks”) there will be ample opportunities to introduce and develop new characters and to flesh out some of the minor characters who appear in Eps # 1 & # 2
(8) I have made no attempt to write in the vernacular used by the Zoomer generation. This is a small detail, easily addressed. My apologies to any Zoomer reading these drafts who might think to themselves: “But we would never say that.”
(9) There are many limitations inherent in this style of TV production but is there, realistically, any other way of producing series drama right now other than utilizing Zoom or similar audio-visual digital forms of communication that adhere to social distancing regulations?
Any and all critical feedback on what I have produced to date here will be welcome.
James Ricketson
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