Our student perspective: what's it like to develop an idea from script to set?

This guest-written article by Screenwriting student Malte “Matt” Weber reflects on the journey of turning a script into a film in production. He shares how collaboration, rehearsals and on-set challenges shaped both the story and his understanding of screenwriting as a collaborative process.

Since our film is still in production, I want to focus on the process so far rather than the narrative itself. The project will eventually be seen as a finished film, so I prefer to keep the details for later. What I want to explore here is what it meant for me, as a first-semester screenwriter, to see a script slowly turn into something real.

The project started when fellow Acting student Viktor created a group for a film project connected to a festival that works with our university, Catalyst. At the first meeting, we talked about a theme and the possible length of the film. Everyone brought ideas, and the atmosphere was open and collaborative.

As the only “writer”, I felt some pressure to deliver an idea on that day. I came up with a story, and to my relief, the group connected with it. From that moment on, it was clear which story we were going to tell.

Those first days are still my favourite part of the process. I spent a lot of time alone with the idea, slowly shaping it and figuring out what it could be. That feeling of getting lost in a story and then coming back with something concrete is exactly why I wanted to study screenwriting. The project grew quickly with feedback from Viktor and the group.

Within about five weeks, we were working toward a feature-length script with a runtime of around fifty-five minutes.

The time pressure shaped how I wrote. The beginning and the ending came easily, but the middle was much harder. Connecting all the storylines and keeping the tension felt challenging. Normally, I would first write a treatment or pitch paper to understand the structure, acts, and character arcs before writing the script. This time, I started writing immediately.

Looking back, skipping that beat caused some struggles, especially in the middle of the script. Writing under pressure taught me how to make decisions quickly and live with them. 

After the first two weeks, we started table reads with our actors. Hearing the dialogue out loud changed a lot for me. Some lines worked naturally; others did not. Feedback from actors and the team helped me rewrite more clearly and with less attachment to individual lines.

By mid-December, it became clear that producing a feature-length film in the given time frame was unrealistic. There were no long discussions about it; we all just agreed on that. Still, I had some doubts afterwards. 

Reducing the story to a short film meant letting go of characters and arcs I was attached to, and I questioned whether the story would still carry weight. In hindsight, this was one of the most important lessons. Learning when to simplify a story so it can be realised without losing its essence is part of being a writer.

The original team slowly became less involved, and it became clear that Viktor and I would carry the project forward. Later, we built a more stable team, including a director of photography, people for sound and lighting, and a project manager. That gave the project structure and made it possible to focus on execution.

Viktor took the lead on the casting of our actors, which was invaluable because he has a very strong sense for performance. Working with someone studying Acting helped me see my writing in a new way. At the same time, I was involved in rehearsals, giving feedback and adjusting the script based on what emerged in the performances.

Casting older actors was a challenge. While we had many very talented young actors through Catalyst, older roles were harder to fill. Eventually, presenting the project to local film club “Movie Nerds” helped us connect with the talent we were looking for.

The rehearsals were inspiring. Watching actors explore their characters revealed aspects of the story that were not fully on the page. One major change was the gender of the protagonist, which required rewriting but ultimately made the story stronger and more grounded.

Once the script reached a stable version, we began planning the shoot and securing locations. Finding suitable locations for a no-budget project was more difficult than I would have expected. Many locations were too expensive, some did not respond, and others fell through at the last minute. We had to reschedule several shooting days. At some point, we realised that sticking to the festival deadline would harm the quality of the film. Rushing would have been unfair to the script and the work everyone had invested. Letting go of the deadline was not easy, but it felt necessary.

Seeing my writing on set

Being on set allowed me to see how writing translates into performance and pacing. I could give feedback from a narrative perspective while Viktor focused on performance. I also learned that sometimes a script needs to adapt to the reality of performance. This was never about blaming actors but about recognising when a scene worked differently than expected and adjusting the writing accordingly. Seeing this in practice changed how I think about dialogue and character.

Our first shoot was at a cemetery. The scene needed some flexibility and ended up being more improvised than planned. We had written it for an overcast day, but the weather was bright and sunny. Instead of fighting that, we adjusted the scene and worked with what we had. Seeing how quickly the crew adapted to the new setting was impressive and motivating.

The following apartment shoot was more technical. We got all the material we needed, and the scene worked quite well. At the same time, it became clear that better time management would have helped. With more time, we could have shot some additional material and given ourselves more options later in the post-production.

The hospital shoot felt different again. The location added a lot to the film almost on its own. At the same time, we got a bit distracted by how much the space offered. We spent time shooting corridors and details early on and only later realised that it would have been smarter to start with the more demanding scenes with the actors. That shift in focus cost us time over the day. Even so, the footage was strong and showed that the location was worth the effort.

So far, we have completed five scenes and reached the midpoint of the film. Right now, we want to continue in March with the remaining scenes. This project taught me how closely writing and production are connected. A script does not end with the final draft. Parts of the story sometimes must change to fit performance, and being involved in those adjustments strengthened my understanding of my craft.

It also changed how I approach writing. I now believe it helps to fully think through a project before writing the final script. I still value intuitive writing, but structure supports creativity. This project made me see the difference between just writing and writing with the awareness of how the story will live in the real world.

Today, screenwriting no longer feels like a solitary job to me. Being involved in rehearsals, on set, and in production decisions helps bring the story to life. Writers can stay part of the process in many ways, whether producing, directing, managing, or editing, without losing their voice.

This project showed me that I want to stay close to my work beyond the script. It is an approach I want to continue exploring as I move forward in my studies.