|
I've been writing screenplays since I was 14 or 15 (now 21). I'm really only particularly proud of two or three of them but in general I feel very good about it. I have absolutely no clue about what to do professionally, i.e. if I should go to school for writing or a general film school or if film school is bogus or, anything really. I'm very serious about writing, and I'm dying to get into many other aspects of filmmaking as well. Don't really know to get started. I found the easiest thing to do was to get a camera and start filming stuff on my own, so I decided to try writing short films. Man, is it hard. Brevity is not my strong point yet. Short films are a complete different beast than features.
|
#
¿
Nov 9, 2010 05:07
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 11:38 |
|
|
I think it's pretty funny that people say "aspring screenwriter" as well. I mean, I don't have anything published or anything but I recently finished my 8th feature length screenplay draft since 2004. I can't speak for the quality of them (I was 15 in 2004) but that's a better alternative than just vague "I got this idea for a movie". I have a lot of trouble with rewrites though. I haven't finished a second draft of any of my works.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 12, 2011 00:34
|
|
|
That's pretty interesting, StalinsHelper, though I can't say I share the same philosophy. For me personally, your technique is something better suited to a second draft. I write the first draft with my emotions guiding me. I believe it leads to a more sincere and expressive product. I create a character/s and a basic theme or idea and let it go where it takes me as it does. Most might see this as sloppy, but like I said, that's what the second draft is for. Trust your feeling first, then use your head for the pacing later.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 16, 2011 01:18
|
|
|
Pantothenate posted:Just a quick general screenwriting question: What do you usually use to write? Are there any Word templates out there, or do you guys use a special program? I've just done amateur stuff in the past, so 'Left justify direction, centre dialogue' has been enough for that, but it'd be nice to be able to set my sights beyond that. Final Draft seems to be the industry standard. For free and also good, try Celtx.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 18, 2011 19:32
|
|
|
wafflesnsegways posted:Songs are huge for me. I don't actually put the songs in the screenplay, but I definitely set stuff to music in my head, and mark which songs I used in my notes. It's perfect when rewriting time comes around - I can put on that song, and all my hopes and plans for the scene come right back. I do this too. Luckily, I am very lenient on what music is appropriate. I wrote many many pages of a Western while listening to almost nothing but disco music.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 23, 2011 05:22
|
|
|
Longbaugh01 posted:Oh I know. Many many times. Often, I will get visual or emotional ideas from specific pieces of music or songs and I write them around that. For me though, it is almost never a lyrical thing. I use music as inspiration for the flow and momentum of things. I have written Western scenes to disco music, contemplative dialogue-free scenes to death metal. I mostly write things that I want to make myself though, so I use certain pieces of music as a guideline for the way I want to shoot and how I want the scene to feel. So, I'm not like "this Western shootout MUST have Ladies Night playing over it", but I can go back and listen to that music and the visuals come to me much clearer.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 18, 2011 20:54
|
|
|
Most people would tell you this is the wrong way to do it but I almost never have the majority of a story planned out before writing. I have several finished works that I started with just the opening scene in mind. I discover what I want to really do or explore when I'm writing. I just can't work the other way. It depends on the kind of stuff you're writing, too. I'm a characters person. I love to "meet" a character and see what they do when I just write on a whim. For serious projects, I usually have the opening scene in mind, and I know how I want it to end more or less. I discover the rest along the way.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 6, 2011 21:19
|
|
|
I know it's probably a cardinal sin professionally speaking , but I hate using BEAT for silences and especially pauses in dialogue. I actually find it better to have a character "speak" the silence with an ellipsis. I like this because it shows precisely who the focus is supposed to be on during that pause. I only write stuff that I film myself so it's not an issue there. It helps me in remembering certain camera shots without having to mention a specific angle in the script. If not that, I still try to avoid BEAT, except when plotting a sequence with a certain rhythm that I want to get across.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 16, 2011 03:51
|
|
|
I think writing for a specific actor is a double edged sword. It definitely helps WHILE writing to get a better grasp on the character, but you never want to get too attached to that idea. Interestingly, Paul Thomas Anderson does this all the time. He wrote Magnolia with Tom Cruise in mind for the Frank Mackey role, he wrote Punch-Drunk Love with Adam Sandler in mind, and he wrote There Will Be Blood for Daniel-Day Lewis. In that last scenario, he sent a half finished script to Day-Lewis, which gives the impression that if DDL was not down or able to be in it, the movie wouldn't have gotten made. Of course, that's just a fun little anecdote. I don't think anyone in here is PTA.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 26, 2011 21:31
|
|
|
I got put down last time I asked this, but will someone read my script? It's a 180 page character drama. Last time I brought this up, Slashie bitched at me because it was so long and assumed that I was writing a fantasy or sci-fi. But nope. If I had to describe it, it would be an extremely sociopathic mix hybrid of Jeanne Dielman and A Woman Under the Influence. I realize that this is a monstrously sized screenplay, but I'm having a lot of trouble picking out what should be cut. I'm not trying to sell this script to anyone. If it gets made, it will be me that makes it. It's very personal. So, personally, I don't care if the finished product is like 4 hours, but if it is all redundancy I would like to know. It's hard to look at it myself with an objective lens. anyone willing to try and tackle this?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 5, 2011 05:37
|
|
|
Awesome! Don't feel obligated to rush through it or anything. I would love to know how you feel about any part of it, even if you don't finish it.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 5, 2011 06:14
|
|
|
quote:(and please don't quote that part so I can edit it out) Thanks man! Will send the PDF now. Magic Hate Ball posted:I got up to about the Tiki Bar scene last night and I'm looking forward to finishing it, but do you have a PDF version? Just as a word of advice, as far as I know it's pretty much the standard for sending scripts electronically. You're also missing pages numbers, which is a pain in the neck. I write in Celtx. It's page numbering system is a little wacky in my experience. It tends to skip pages and whatnot. It's kinda weird. So I'm not exactly sure how long it actually is. I also didn't even know Celtx could make PDFs until now so thanks a lot there. Will send you that now.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 5, 2011 20:02
|
|
|
Hollis posted:I finished a rough draft of a screenplay several weeks ago, and would be really interested in getting a nonbiased opinion on the flow of the story as well as plot points. Anyway my email is hollismason at gmail.com I'll give it a go! pojohead at aol dot com
|
|
#
¿
Sep 7, 2011 20:14
|
|
|
Thanks!! -The vagueness of many scenes/locations/times was intentional. I wanted it to feel like it does when I'm black-out drunk. First you're here, now suddenly you're here and it's hours/days/weeks later. However, that you did not realize months had passed in that one case, and some general other vagaries are most definitely bad things I need to fix. It's very apparent at times that I sort of took an almost stream of consciousness way of writing it as I'd often get very caught up in what was in my head to effectively lay it out for someone who isn't me. -The Becca stuff was a huge problem. This started off as an ensemble piece, until I realized more and more that I didn't particularly care about any of the characters as much as Eve and I felt she could carry it all. As a result, Becca is sort of this half-baked concept that never really culminates into anything special. I think I could actually cut most of her stuff out with very little hassle. Would definitely tighten it up a lot and get rid of dead weight. -While I'm very sad that you did not like the ending, I can't say I wasn't expecting some negativity around it. I personally feel the problem lies more in the first 2/3rds than the end half. The beginning, I was still getting to know this character and what I wanted to get across. As a result, I feel a lot of it is a little redundant. Most every scene is there to reflect something about Eve, but I'm sure at times it's a little bash-you-over-the-head with the "isn't this girl just messed up!?" over and over again. I could probably do with taking some of those end scenes and spreading them amongst the movie. -The transience of the sub-characters was intentional. Eve mostly associates with people she needs to. The drug dealer isn't so much a friend as a convenience, and when he gets (rightfully) angry at her, then he's gone. After he has been, honestly, a really good friend for the whole movie, I thought it would be effective that she (and the movie) drops him at the slightest sign of confliction. Same story with the yacht guy, though I might have spent too much run time on that side-story. I wasn't using all these separate plotlines as a means for it all to coalesce in the end, but to expand more and more on Eve's personality. The sudden appearance of the biological father, probably the most important character besides Eve herself, in the last 70 pages is kinda offputting but that is the effect I wanted. The narrative forms itself around the father and all but disregards everything else to reflect Eve's world. Again, I think the main problem is I took wayyy too long to actually reveal the real story of the film- daddy issues. -The spit/vodka thing could be a bit out of character, maybe. I don't personally think so. She didn't do that out of malice or contempt. I suggested that child abuse is circular. It is a thing her dad did to her, and Colin is the most son-like person in her life, so why not? That's why I made it a point for her not to feel very remorseful about it. poo poo happens. and yeah, all the stuff in quotes is the ideal songs I would use. And if I don't, I still put it in the script as an emotional reminder to myself. Writing to music helps me a lot, and remembering the music I wrote something to when I go back and film gives me a better sense of how I want the scene to be paced. This is a pet project. If I don't make this, it's not getting made. I'm very happy you read it all and took the time to critique!
|
|
#
¿
Sep 11, 2011 05:24
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 11:38 |
|
|
Magic Hate Ball posted:Hey Bunt, I finished Slur. Thanks a ton! This was very helpful. some things: -Did you find the scene with Eve forcing Colin the vodka scene to be weird or out of character to the point that it's unbelievable? Your Phoebe Caulfield reference is quite spot on, but I still feel that there needs to be a scene like this. Although Colin is sort of Eve's saving grace, she can't help but gently caress it up somehow. -The meth stuff is a little weird, because the main thing I was trying to do was to misdirect the viewer into the idea of a "downward spiral", presumably ending with meth addiction. The reason that stuff never really comes back again, or even really affects Eve significantly is I was trying to give the sense that her way of life has been going on for a long time and probably won't change much. She does a lot of different drugs in the movie, but it always comes back to the alcohol. Either way, you are right that it should be made clearer what drug it is. -as an addendum to the last bit, the withdrawl scene is actually not from meth but from alcohol, as it is several days/weeks after the meth scene. The idea is that this scene is where we first see what Eve is like without booze and to show that she's already very physically dependent on it at such a young age. Rosa's character with the meth use is basically to show how someone who imbibes in a much more dangerous and life-changing drug like meth has more control over herself than Eve. -The birthday dialogue is a bit sloppy, I admit. I was trying to go for Eve ironically pretending to not know her birthday, just to put her father on the spot to admit he doesn't know when it is.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 16, 2011 21:26
|
|