Cuddle Buddies: A Short Film Case Study Part 1 - The Script
The First part in a series of articles on how I made my short film Cuddle Buddies as writer, director and producer, from the writing phase all the way through post-production and beyond.
The Short Film
Here’s a link to the completed film, which serves as a great reference and context for all of the posts and discussion to follow.
What is Cuddle Buddies?
Cuddle Buddies is a narrative dramatic short film that is independently produced and character driven. The logline is as follows: Cuddle Buddies tells the story of Lucy, a single mother who works as a professional cuddler in order to support her young daughter and to alleviate the loneliness not only in her clients, but also in herself.
I wrote, directed, edited, produced & colored this film and it very much was a labor of love in the truest sense of the word.
Why a Case Study?
The process of creating this film and seeing it through from the idea phase to the physical production and completion was an extremely difficult process and journey, and there were a slew of pitfalls I only wish I had known before embarking on the making of this film.
I fully realize that filmmaking is very much an art that requires you to learn and make mistakes as you do it, and the doing of it will always be the most essential ingredient and teacher. But if I can shed some light on some things I learned along the way, even if just to function as an educational tool and save any aspiring filmmakers working on upcoming projects, especially short films, the heartache of additional stress in the pre-production and production phases, then I have achieved my goal in documenting the entire production process through this case study.
OK so with that setup, let’s get into the first part, which is the creation and writing of the script!
Part 1: Creative Brainstorming & Finding the Script Idea
The headline above suggests a process that is completely individual to every creative who ever lived, and as any writer will attest; there are a thousand different ways to write a script. All that really matters is that you come away with a completed script.
My intention with this section is not to tell you how to come up with ideas or even how to find them, but merely to document how I go about finding my ideas and in particular, how I found the idea for what become Cuddle Buddies.
Creative Research
For me, the fastest way into landing an original film idea as a writer and director that interests me is to first start with the character. In particular, the main character or protagonist.
This sets off the process I call “creative research”; I.E. the early brainstorming and searching of images, articles, topics, etc. to get the creative juices flowing. Pretty much anything counts that can serve as the basis for inspiration or the seed that will eventually bloom into the larger tree that will be the completed film.
I often find the fastest way into locating the core of the story comes in the form of knowing who my protagonist is and what they do for a living. This helps me develop their heroes journey and further explore their character flaws, strengths, wants vs. needs and their narrative arc of how they progress from the beginning to the end. It also helps track how I might introduce them or specific scene ideas, knowing how they interact with their profession or feel about it.
During this specific period of creative research, (circa 2016) I filtered my research to be even more specific and found myself really drawn to the idea of a character with an extremely unique and esoteric job, that not many people in the public knew much about.
A conversation around that time with a fellow writer friend Frankie, about liking characters who do “weird” professions, further compelled me into wanting to create a short film to act as a character driven study of a person who does something odd for a living.
I’ve now come to refer to this type of film as an “Indie Educational Drama” within a narrative context. Although, I think you could absolutely have an “Indie Educational Comedy or Thriller, Horror, etc.” but the essential ingredient is that you have to teach the audience a new thing in some depth within the confines of the narrative and the film. I still continue to be drawn to this type of film, as I conduct creative research for my subsequent projects.
As a side note, many people asked me if I was doing a documentary film about this topic when I pitched them the film, and I continuously told them it was narrative; which told me that this specific sub-genre was still an untapped fountain.
This objective of finding a character with an odd job served two purposes for me:
Be in a position to educate people about said interesting job within the film and hopefully by proxy make a film that is educational, entertaining and emotionally resonant all in one package. More importantly; make a film that truly feels unique.
To get to exercise the empirical part of my brain and allow the film to serve as a chance to take on a research project and put myself into the role of a researcher to scratch the curiosity itch, but also become more of an expert on an entirely new topic.
In hindsight I can happily say that I achieved both of the objectives above, but it also served to produce even more than those two things, which I will detail in a later installment.
Character Study Research: Unique Professions
As with any good research, writing, creating etc. it tremendously helps to get über specific. Now that I had a clear point of research, I typed into the Google search bar: World’s Weirdest Jobs and I was off to the races!
The research gods were fortunate to me and as it so happens, the very first article I read ranked the “Top 10 Weirdest Jobs” that people do (according to the article).
As luck would have it, at the very top of the list at #1 was the job of “Professional Cuddling”. That’s right, you read that correctly. People can “cuddle” with other people and get paid to do it for a living! WOW! I was truly captivated after I read that this was a job and I was instantly hooked! Now, mind you this usually never happens this quickly, but I knew right away that I NEEDED to write a film about a character who works as a professional cuddler for a living. The logline almost wrote itself.
I knew it was the right topic to pursue because a thousand questions popped into my head all at the same time:
“Who does this for a living?”
“Who would pay for a cuddling session for a living?”
“Is it a front for something else?”
“How much do they make per session?”
“What does all of this say about our culture?”
And on and on, the questions popped up and that was the indicator that I should take this on. I figured if I had this many questions about this, so would other people and in turn, people would HAVE to know more about this work, as I felt I needed to.
I’ll admit that at this point, there was a certain leap of faith I knew I needed to take to learn all about this, but also to be comfortable being labeled as “the guy who made the film about professional cuddling” and to this day, that is still how some people probably think of me or even refer to me. The best part is I am now so proud of that label, but for a time I admit that it scared me.
Once I decided this was the character’s profession and this film was going to explore her life and work as a professional cuddler, I was 100 percent all in and was committed and excited about conducting further research. In some way, some of the hard part of settling on the topic had been completed.
I should also note that as I continued to conceptualize who this cuddler would actually be in the story, the article I had first found described a single mother who worked as a cuddler in New York City and had a small daughter. DING! DING! DING!
Yet again, the creative bells were ringing and I knew right away that this character should be a single mother who also had a daughter of around 6 years old and was her whole world, aside from her work.
Those two cornerstones of the mother and the daughter never vacillated, from Draft #1 to Draft #19 that eventually went into production a few years later.
Writing the Script: The First Draft
Now that I had the key ingredients of the character, her job, her stakes and some very early ideas of what I thought would happen, I popped open my Final Draft document and started writing the first draft of the script in a Santa Monica Starbucks, just like every other screenwriter sitting in there that day too.
Interestingly, the title of the script was initially called Snuggle Buddies until Jean informed me that was also the name of a professional cuddling business that wasn’t paying their employees and being sketchy. So hence, the title Cuddle Buddies was born.
The other thing worth noting is that before I had really dived into further research and reading about this profession, I initially intended to write more of a comedy, that poked fun at the silliness of this job and was documenting it as more of a caricature of what I thought cuddling would look like in a session.
Looking back now, I can assure you the biggest takeaway I learned was not only how to do proper, thorough research, but also the critical role in doing it before and even as you write. Especially if it’s covering a real community or profession, it is essential to depict it accurately. At the time I was still learning the role research played in writing.
As of now, when I am developing a script idea or writing, my two pillars of research consist of:
Reading multiple articles, books or sources related to the topic or profession I am depicting to get a sense of the action that happens but also the dialogue that would be said in a given situation.
Conducting at least one interview with a professional and asking if they would be able to proofread my script for accuracy.
Finishing the First Draft
This step is the most critical, so that you have something tangible to work from and to continue to whittle at until you have something closer to a finished work of art (or as close to it as you can get.)
I recall that I completed the very first draft of the script in two sittings (at that same Starbucks) of about an hour to hour and a half each, and at a page count of about 14 pages. It had scenes with a client and it was very much a comedy about this job. I admit it was not informed by thorough research.
I sent it to one friend for kicks and giggles and then I shelved the script for quite a while.
The interesting part is I don’t think I touched this draft for at least a year or so. I completed a few other projects and to be quite frank, I think I fully planned to abandon the project because of the sheer oddity of it on the surface. I think I convinced myself it was too “out there” and people wouldn’t be attracted to it.
Sitting here now I can only implore you and (myself) to continue to do the things that are too “out there”, for that is the realm in which you truly start to push boundaries and explore the unknown in the most satisfying and fulfilling ways; and tread new territory. I call that progress.
Remember that one friend I sent the script to? They ended up being the one to convince me there was value in it and that I should fully pursue it. I finally had freed up from other films I had been working on and was in search of my next project and this one friend gave me a convincing argument that this was the project to do next. And I listened (and thank goodness I did).
Coming back to the script a few years later and with a better understanding of story, writing and the importance of thorough research, I concluded that more research was necessary before I dove back into the next set of revisions. This led me to…
Research, Research, Research
After getting serious about taking Cuddle Buddies on as my next project to write and direct, I searched the inter-webs again for real professional cuddlers, referencing one of my pillars of research #2: Conduct an interview with a real professional.
Only, this was such a novel industry, I wasn’t even sure I could find one in the city, let alone the state of California.
I hit the Google search bar again and much to my excitement, I found a wonderful woman named Jean Franzblau, who owns her own professional cuddling practice called “Cuddle Sanctuary” and she operates some of her work out of Santa Monica but also through an office in Venice, CA.
I browsed through her website and then came to a major conclusion upon visiting her website: I would need to do a cuddle session with her as a client, in order to fully depict the client sessions in the film for the full authenticity.
Looking back now, I remember it being a big decision, but one that was easier to make than you might think. Stepping outside of your comfort zone in the “role of a researcher” makes it far easier to do new and uncomfortable things than if you were to do it “as yourself”.
The conclusion I reached was that as a researcher, you are still playing a kind of role, much like an actor playing a role, even if it’s “slightly” like you, it “technically” is not you on paper, so you can feel more free to step outside the comfort zone and dive in head first. This is the beauty and appeal of the “empirical” approach of creating to me, as I outlined above. I implore more creators to do this: put yourself into the role of researcher so you can allow yourself to learn and grow much more freely. I guarantee it will be rewarding.
So I dove in headfirst as a researcher and I scheduled a cuddle session through Jean’s website and then we had a follow up call, so she could ensure I was not a creep.
On our phone call, Jean calmly informed me how sessions work and what to wear and what to expect. I informed her I was doing a film and was doing research and she responded she was thrilled that I was taking the time to do the research and depict her work properly. This is also an added bonus of proper research: you get to meet so many wonderful new people, but they also truly appreciate the effort you make and are much more willing to lend their ethos to your project. It’s a win win for all involved.
We scheduled the session for a week from the day of the phone call and man was I nervous about it. Although, less nervous because I was so passionate to tell this story and to tell it the right way and with the most authenticity; which meant that this session was essential to doing that.
Jump cut to a week later and I did an official cuddling session with Jean. It lasted about an hour and it essentially broke down like this:
The first 10 minutes were meet and greet followed by sitting across from Jean and her explaining how the session goes.
Next 10 minutes were breathing exercises and the first introduction of touch. All touch is completely consent based and only initiated if the client gives permission.
We eventually move to the bed and start the very first cuddle position. There are over 20 different cuddle positions that have fun names such as: “Oxytocin Hug”, “Gummy bears”, “Pancake” etc.
We moved through a myriad of different cuddle positions and I want to note that after the first cuddle position, any nerves or uncertainty had completely faded away and been replaced by a warm and cozy feeling that they call “Oxytocin”, a chemical that is released in your brain when you cuddle with someone. It’s been proven to reduce stress and ease anxiety, etc.
It was equal parts experiential and equal parts interview for me. I wanted to feel what a client feels to know the sensations, but also ask enough questions for the proper research of the language and how to write it on the page accurately.
Before I knew it, the hour was up and I couldn’t believe how relaxed and at peace I felt as I drove home. I slept like a rock that night.
Now that I had done a session, I was able to dive back into the script, with much more knowledge and accuracy at my disposal.
The biggest thing that changed was that it went from a comedy to a drama, after learning from Jean that many of the clients that hire cuddlers have either gone through trauma, PTSD, sexual assault or loneliness. It was then that I realized this needed to be taken seriously; dramatically, not comedically.
Revise: Then Do it All Over Again
The next set of revisions focused on turning the tone into more of a drama and in accurately depicting Lucy with clients in cuddle sessions within the film that were all based off the real session I had experienced with Jean.
Subsequent drafts also really focused on channeling Lucy’s unique voice and dialogue on the page, along with every other character’s. I went through a few dialogue passes of narrowing in on the dialogue and punching it up.
Later narrative developments included Lucy’s ugly divorce with her ex husband James, who was trying to take full custody of their daughter Marina. Knowing that a character drama still needed to exist outside of the professional cuddling, I calculated that the below formula would be the most effective in establishing the major conflict, but also the stakes for Lucy:
Lucy - Marina = Lucy’s Major Conflict (Or Stakes)
Marina is Lucy’s most important person and losing her would mean losing the whole world. And even worse, having her ripped away from her by a vengeful ex-husband who she had Marina with, added insult to injury. I wanted all of this to be playing out against the backdrop of her work as a professional cuddler, while also identifying the extremely important and transformative work that she brought to her client's lives with the work she did. And to also establish how good she was at her job with accurate dialogue. This revelation only came upon later revisions and outside notes on the script.
That’s what is so funny about revising. The most obvious story revelations seem to be hiding in plain sight and are often the most simple, only, someone else often needs to point them out to you first.
Jean ended up being the best thing to happen to the project since she eventually ended up agreeing to be a creative consultant by looking over subsequent drafts of the script and giving input on the language and cuddling scenes, but also coming to our set to serve as an intimacy coordinator (more on that later in the production installment.)
More revisions continued and focused on really honing in the relationship between Lucy + Marina and also in trying to outline the totality of the marriage between Lucy & James while it was still good and before it completely disintegrated.
We also focused in on simplifying and polishing the dialogue and making the story really sing.
Jean added so many wonderful dialogue suggestions and areas that completely transformed the script to one of real depth and emotionality.
Another major pillar of good revisions is to have good people give you good notes. Jean, along with a good friend Patterson, who I trust more than anyone for good script notes, went through at least 3 different drafts with me until we were very close to the final production draft. Big thanks Patterson and Jean! :)
In Conclusion
The key here is to be persistent and dogged as you revise your script. Do it over and over and over again until it is undeniably good on the page. Have the tenacity and give it the time to make it great, it is so worth it.
Eventually, we landed on revision #19 when we went into production. The funny part is we still ended up changing things around in post later once we shot, so technically you could say it was draft #20 (as a script conform) that was the final thing.
But the point is, the script spent at least a year in revisions before getting shot, and part of that was the long time it took for the funding to get the right budget for the film as well. (More on the fundraising in another section.)
Finally at Draft #19 (which included revisions even up to the day before shooting), we had a story that was a character driven drama with real emotional stakes, that educated about the work of professional cuddling. I had achieved the two objectives I had set out to with this project and a better final film because of it.
In Summary
To summarize, the points below are a recap of the major elements to writing and finishing the script for the film:
Creative Research: Brainstorm, research and find a topic, character, profession, image, scenario etc. that feeds the seed of a film idea you can get excited about. The more specific your creative research, the better.
Technical Research: Once you have settled on the topic or character, it is worth researching anything and everything relevant to the plot, characters, setup and every element to help you tell the story with credence. This includes interviewing a professional on the topic. Talk to experts!
Write the First Draft: Get it down on the page. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just finish it and now you have something to continue to shape and perfect.
Revise, Revise, Revise: Ask a trusted writer friend or colleague for their constructive feedback and notes and be open to the feedback. Do this each time you finish a new draft and continue to polish and polish, with bouts of thinking time and daydreaming in between to let new ideas have the time to roll in.
It also helps to get specific what you are focusing on with each revision (is it just dialogue? One character’s arc? Opening or concluding scenes? An overall trim pass?)
I also find it tremendously helpful to communicate to your reader what kind of notes or specific focus you want them to look at when they read your latest draft so they can give you more detailed and focused criticism.
Know When to Call It Quits: I’m a major fan of revising as much as you have time and energy for, but at some point you also have to know when the script is “done” or ready to go into production. Don’t kill yourself or waste even more time than you need to chasing perfection. Just make it the best you can and then shoot the thing! (I’d also note the script might change again once in production or after so be open to that possibility as well.)
Celebrate! Make sure to celebrate finishing a script with revisions and all. It’s a marathon not a sprint and takes a tremendous amount of time, thinking and painstaking detailed work to get a script to a final draft so celebrate that and make a kick-ass film!
Here’s the official short film poster:
If this article helped you write your own script in any way, please feel free to write in the comments. I’d love to hear how it helped. Or if you are a writer with a different writing process, I’d love to hear how you cook the sausage.
If this article also helped you get your script into production and you shot and completed it, please feel to send the link to your film in the comments. I would love to see it!
Stay tuned for the next article in this series, Part 2, about pre-production and fundraising. Coming soon!
Footnote: Script Revisions
If it is of interest, and for the inquiring reader who has the time and interest, I have included a link HERE to a folder with every single draft of the script I managed to find, from virtually the first draft all the way to the final shooting draft so you can see how the script evolved and how each revision truly progressed the script and tone to become the movie you see today. I also included our early pitch deck we used to help find financing later.
I personally find this evolution to be one of the most educational in this entire case study. To take the time to really hone that script and spend months or years revising it really translates to a better film on the screen, every time.
Great short film Jordan. I think we all are born wanting and needing to be touched and held. Cuddling is great way of dealing with stress and giving you and the other person an emotional pick-me-up. We all need it throughout life. Keep on rocking!!