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screenwritersblues posted:Thanks for the input. I was thinking about doing character notes and loose ideas over the next couple of months, just so I can get to the point where I can just sit down and write the pilot. I was thinking of writing the bible just to keep my ideas organized and the character descriptions together. I have been working with a producer on a show and the bible really just shows interested parties that you have thought about the future of the show. The real bible will be done once there is actual interest. We, my writing partner and I, have done about 6 drafts of the bible; most of the fixes were just cuts. It is hard to cut your brilliance, I know, but it must be done. A friend of mine, who videotapes weddings for a living, always makes the joke, "This is demo poo poo, right here." Meaning that he got a shot so good it will go on the demo reel for potential brides to see. I look at the bible the same way, you only want the best. We also have a longer bible going for ourselves, but the first bible is really just a pitch more than anything. As for a script, it depends. For one of the shows, we wrote what would have been a self-contained episode, what we kept calling Episode 13. NOT the pilot. Pilot episodes are often bulky with exposition. A simple bible will introduce the characters and the sample episode should already have them flushed out. BUT, there is a show I am working on that I plan to shoot myself. For this, you want it to be the pilot episode. That way you can walk into a meeting and say, it is ready to go. This would work better with a low-budget comedy or a web-series. Also, always have more than one show to pitch. Someone might like you and your writing talent but not your idea.
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Dec 8, 2010 18:09
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George Kaplan posted:Could anyone cast an eye over this short film screenplay and give me some tips? I actually liked it. Careful at the beginning, a man walking can get really boring, really fast. Just establish that he knows he is lost and move on. The dialogue is a little hackneyed, but it is nothing that a few rehearsals with trained actors wouldn't help. Have them play around as their characters see if anything good comes up. I like the tension and it builds nicely. Name "The Man" you don't ever have to say it in dialogue, but he is your main character, give him some definition. I don't know if you plan on making this, but Zeppelin rights are hard to come by. You might want to rewrite it have them talk about/play something else. Edit: I was thinking, maybe you want to throw in a few presumptions that The Man has about Sonny. Like Sonny could offer to help him find his way and the man says "I don't have any money." Assuming Sonny wants cash. Sonny could even buy the beers. he could everything to make the guy drop his guard and still the guy takes off. York_M_Chan fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Dec 9, 2010 |
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Dec 9, 2010 23:40
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George Kaplan posted:
In my opinion, this is the worst thing that a writer can do. Basically, because your audience wasn't there when you met "Sonny" and we weren't in your mindset. Usually, what I do, is use the dialogue that inspired the scene as a stepping off point to frame the character and end up cutting it around the 3rd draft and replacing it with dialogue more conducive to the theme. I have the same feeling about guy who think their friends are really funny and decides to make the film where they "just turn the camera on and let my friends go."
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Dec 10, 2010 17:22
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The_Doctor posted:Up till now, the 'written by' was just my name. They never told me when I handed in the 2nd draft they were going to go over it themselves. If they'd said 'we need these bits fixed, kill this guy, add this stuff', I'd have done it happily. If it was your original idea then I would say you should be upset, but this is their idea. Yeah, you did the legwork, but if they did in fact make changes, even if you are unhappy with them, then I don't think there is much you can do. I was in the exact same position a while back. I wrote the film based on the company's idea. At the premier, during the credits, I saw that there were 2 other writers listed. The material was still 90% mine and most of my favorite parts were changed. Alas, I had to get over it. It was never really "my" project to begin with. They also spelled my name wrong which I don't mind too much because the film was awful. I decided not to write for anyone after that. I have lost work because of it, at some point you have to decide what type of writer you are. My writing partner, on the other hand, just wants to sell his drafts and be done with them. He doesn't care how much they change it. Obviously, we butt heads a lot on that, which actually leads to better material.
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Jan 10, 2011 17:47
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Lofty132 posted:I wrote a screenplay for a short film last summer that I based on my work experiences. Totally. signpostchicago @ gmail dot com
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Jan 19, 2011 18:21
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Unexpected EOF posted:Okay, not so much screenwriting, but still a part of the process in a sense, but does anyone here have any good resources for writing treatments? My treatments lately seem to be impossible to churn out and I've always felt I've been doing them wrong to begin with. Have a friend write it. Seriously. I find it really hard to boil my work down into one or two pages because I am so attached to it. A friend and I trade scripts and write each others. Obviously, you can edit it when they are done, but it does help in getting that framework down on paper.
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Jan 29, 2011 00:36
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screenwritersblues posted:....avoid John August and start reading scripts instead. On that note, perhaps we could suggest scripts we have read and recommend others read. I have read The Apartment (Billy Wilder) more than a few times, the structure of the script is just amazing.
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Mar 3, 2011 17:24
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I just opened an account on http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/. The point being to write an entire screenplay during the month of April. I need something like this to push me to keep writing. It seems pretty hackneyed, as is most screenwriting sites I find oddly, but it is free. My user name is Signpost, in case anyone wants to be "writing buddies." Which is probably just as gay as it sounds.
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Mar 25, 2011 19:29
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I would love for one or two of you to give my new piece a read. It is a long-short (about 40 pages) and I have trouble writing short films. There is either something missing or something that needs to be taken away. I think I have dug in so deep that I can't really see the light anymore, I need a fresh pair of eyes to look around.
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Aug 30, 2011 18:20
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Magic Hate Ball posted:Well, you've got a few problems.... You're right, Thank you. Edit: I will amend that you actually got the exact tone that I was going for... "presented in the weirdest, dryest way. It's almost surreal how bland it is." While on the other hand, you are right, an audience won't tolerate it. York_M_Chan fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Aug 30, 2011 |
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Aug 30, 2011 21:31
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MixMasterGriff posted:I feel like this could be really good practice for any screenwriters who want to try something new. Got an interesting idea and want to expand it? Make it 5 minutes. It'll help. I went through the same thing, I had a 30 min animated show but our producer who was pitching the show had us write a 15 min version of the same story and a 5 min version. It was a great experiment in really editing plot and comedy.
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Sep 7, 2011 18:03
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My plays tend to be a lot more bare-boned than my screenplays. I try not to put as much tonal direction i.e. BRADLEY: (Curiously) But why have you chosen brown slacks? I would just leave out the "curiously" and leave it up to the director/actors to determine the tone. I also leave out most of the movement direction. Instead of "Bradley pulls the closet door open, runs his fingers along the fibers of her Angora sweaters, then yanks one viciously from the hanger." I would just put "Bradley crosses to the closet and takes out the sweater." I don't know why I do that, probably because I think plays are made to be done over and over again with a different motif and view with each new performance depending on the troupe while film is meant to be done once in a very defined way. I don't know why, but I think True West is a good play for screenwriters to read to get into a theater frame of mind. The actual physical format is also different, my screenwriting software has play format preloaded.
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Sep 14, 2011 16:08
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On the same line as witty moments, I have the damnedest time writing very slick/cool characters. Perhaps because that is my antithesis; how does everyone not have neurotic anxiety and crippling self-criticism?
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Sep 20, 2011 16:21
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Gray Ghost posted:I actually need a little advice for a project I've been meaning to work on for ages; does anyone know the best way to write naturalized immigrants from another culture? My story revolves around a Hindi family living in Queens (inspired by a lot of my co-workers), but I have no idea how a family like that talks to one another (i.e. 1st-generation immigrants communicating with 2nd-generation children). Is my best bet just to have long detailed conversations with my co-workers or to do more research into films/books like The Namesake or both? Ask if you can hang out with them, they won't converse with you the way they converse with one another. Go to their homes, eat with them, Hindi weddings are awesome. You want to get YOUR interpretation of how they interact with one another, not their interpretation of how they interact.
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Sep 20, 2011 16:43
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The_Doctor posted:I can see more than one adventure for my protagonist, but I want to make it visual... Write one film. If it is good, there is always a sequel. Or lovely low-budget webseries. Some of my old friends seem to think this is the way to go and their small ego-stroaking circle-jerk eggs them on and on and on.
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Sep 20, 2011 23:55
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I have the same problem. I would recommend seeing the film 3-Iron and do exercises, just write short scenes of no dialogue. At least you recognize it is a fault and not a gift like a lot of writers do. (And yes, Magic Hate Ball, I do know that the script you read was too dialogue heavy, and I have been cutting) One of the things I actually took away from film school was CLOSAT. Character, Location, Object, Situation, Action, and Theme (I think). We had to constantly write these down with no connection to the work we were doing. Just, if you see an interesting location, write it down, don't add it to anything, just save it. If you think of an interesting action, write it down. I still do that with my notebooks. Then, if I feel things are getting a little word heavy, I look back to some interesting actions I wrote down and see if any fit. It is always good to have a grab bag of spare parts.
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Sep 21, 2011 16:32
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Has anyone written anything based off of a true story? I am stuck working on a piece because I am fighting with the structure too much. I am trying to remain true to the story, but obviously embellishments are being made. I don't want to change too much because i think that is insincere to the purpose of the tale. Thoughts?
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Sep 22, 2011 16:15
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MixMasterGriff posted:Promoted to lead writer (and manager!) at my film gig last night, today got an email asking me to turn in a spec script for Frederator by Friday. Congrats! Always good to hear good news in the screenwriting world. I just pitched a few things to Eric at Frederator. What a nice guy!
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Nov 1, 2011 18:58
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I hand wrote my first screenplay, my friend lost it. I think the gods were telling me something. Just like the Ronco Rotisserie, "Set it and forget it."
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Nov 4, 2011 14:51
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bartlebee posted:Jesus, why on earth would you hand write a screenplay? How would you even edit it? It may be best to let it scatter to the winds. This was many years ago, before laptops were accessible to poor like me. I was working the graveyard shift at a gas station. I was the first time I could focus for long periods of time. The plan was to type it into my computer at home.
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Nov 4, 2011 19:53
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One of the best ways to stay on track is to have the framework written down before you start your screenplay. I make a very simple skeleton of plot points before I start the actual screenplay. It's loose and always changes but it helps keep moving you forward. That way if I am stuck at a part that I am not so happy about, I can power through it and move on. Future drafts will correct those flaws. Always, always, have an ending before you start, it doesn't have to be set in stone but it's good have a goal. If you don't know how it is going to end you may end up wandering too much or just giving up. Also, in the simplest of terms, your ending is your point; if you don't have a point, you don't have a film.
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Nov 14, 2011 18:09
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Griff M. posted:"Pot is an assault on life." I said it wasn't. To be fair, I'm a pinko commie Did he ever happen to rant about when Earthworm Jim is coming out on DVD?
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Nov 16, 2011 17:00
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Any tips for writing with a partner? I have never done this before and it feels like a first date even though we are good friends.
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Nov 29, 2011 22:06
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Griff M. posted:Rewatched "The Muppets" in theaters and goddamn do I feel much more confident about my writing. Like, if this is considered an 'B+' through'A-' film, there's hope for us yet. That depends... are you as "charming" and "witty" as Jason Segel?
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Dec 16, 2011 19:14
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Griff M. posted:EDIT: People should bump this more often. I usually want to post in here, but I don't want to double-post, so I don't. We gotta stick together! Well, Griff, what are you working on? I just finished a short that I hope to shoot soon. The structure built itself the moment I came up with the idea, which never happens, I always struggle with the structure. Now come drafts 2-7. I realized recently when I am not trying so hard I tend to write a lot better. I tend to get too wrapped up in my head and it pulls me down. I need to learn to relax and play with my work more and not be so concerned that my films have to change the world of cinema as we know it.
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Dec 28, 2011 20:57
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Sporadic posted:That sounds pretentious without actually having to name drop a bunch of obscure artists or use a handful of million dollar words. Spaced is actually really good at that type of thing. They have a ton of references but they are never obscure. The references are always skimmed straight from the top of pop culture. I have been thinking about this a lot lately as I have been working on something that deals with the same pop culture issues. While agree with you, and you actually vocalized what I have been trying to for some time, I think if you keep the references thin or remove them completely you run the risk of sounding like a dad trying to look cool in front of his kids. Even your Spaced reference has its roots in real art theory. But your right, he doesn't mention specific obscure artists. I think the most important element in screenwriting is research. You really have to know what you're talking about when you write it. The worst scripts are the ones that have the generic "scientist" or "artist" without any real depth or appreciation for their career choices. I wasn't writing this to subvert what you were saying, just exploring the conversation as I have been dealing with this lately.
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Jan 18, 2012 16:40
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Griff M. posted:I have from now until late June to conceive, prepare, and write my first feature screenplay to get credit for this class. I was hired the write one in five days and this was the end result:  For for film written in five days it's... still terrible.
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Feb 1, 2012 18:16
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Captain Geech posted:Attempt at a Log Line: A mysterious new student runs for school president in an attempt to rescue the school from the tyrannical jocks. The word jocks is giving me flashbacks to my Freshman year screenwriting class and a genre-mixing high school movie reminds me of how much I hated Brick. I am morbidly curious... EMAIL REMOVED, got screenplay York_M_Chan fucked around with this message at 20:56 on Feb 3, 2012 |
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Feb 3, 2012 17:18
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fallingdownjoe posted:Is anyone good the first thing they write? I still feel that way about the first drafts of my current work.
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Feb 10, 2012 18:01
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phuckpolitics posted:I was just wondering how long does everyone write each day? Do you sent a time limit or a page limit? Depends on what you call "writing" I am constantly carrying around a small notepad because I am always inspired at the most inconvenient times. Last week, I finally figured out the ending to a script I have been toying with for 5 years... and I was behind a desk in a courtroom (I'm a paralegal, not on trial) ... thank God for knowing how to pretend I am writing down important "notes" for the lawyer. When I am actually writing, I write the current mood of the story... that is usually a scene or two because I want to stay in the flow of the scene(s) to keep it consistent. Once the tone or mood of the script changes, I take a break and shake it off. You should have a loose goal, but don't force it. At least for me, when I try to force my story I get frustrated and angry, I try and let it come a bit more organically. I actually try to spend as little time in front of a screen as possible. I hand write out a plot skeleton in a notepad so I don't have to think about what comes next and I can focus on other things like dialogue and character. Before I sit down to write I pretty much know exactly what I am going to put down, and when I am done writing it is nothing what I thought it was going to be. Being prepared to write before I write lets my mind wander and play. It all depends on what/when/how you are inspired. Sitting at my desk is the least inspiring moments for me.
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Feb 27, 2012 15:25
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I wanted to quickly recommend the book "Backwards & Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays" for any screenwriter. Yes, it is about how to analyze plays, but it will make you take a second look at your own work. It changed the way I think about the narrative structure and I highly recommend it.
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Jan 30, 2013 17:25
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Does it count for anything that I interned at a video game company as a writer? PM me or signpostchicago @ gmail[dot]com as well and I can send you my résumé. As "resume" is something you do to unpause your video game. See, I already know the lingo going in. Also, I am looking for structural advice on short 15-20 minute films. Short films always seem so kitchy or almost like a joke: quick set-up, punchline. My work is more character based, which lends itself to longer pieces. Anyone have any advice or even great short films to point me towards that exemplify character based short works?
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Aug 29, 2014 15:08
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I have a 15 min short that I am looking for some notes on. I would be happy to trade with someone else looking for notes.
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Mar 30, 2015 19:59
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