The Screenwriting Thread: Without Us You Would Be Staring at A Blank Screen

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hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

The Worst Muslim posted:

How would I deal with a bi-lingual script? A character of mine can speak English and Spanish.

So would it be something like this?

DIEGO

Yeah, absolutely. (in Spanish) If you gently caress me over, I'll kill you.

If there is going to be a lot of Spanish in the dialogue, you can make a note at the beginning of the script saying something like, "Dialogue in italics is in Spanish." Then write the Spanish dialogue in italics. This way the flow of reading the line isn't interrupted if there is going to be a lot of switching.

# ¿ Sep 18, 2013 02:16

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# ¿ May 1, 2024 23:40

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Mike Works posted:

I've seen a movie where a jock goes after a nerd who wants his girlfriend. Seen it a bunch.

Why should I want to see yours?

Within the answer to that question you'll probably find a better logline.

This right here. Also use active verbs to describe your protagonist's actions to make him seem to have a goal. Makes for a better picture of where the story is going.

# ¿ Mar 6, 2014 21:12

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Maxwell Lord posted:

I've been turning over the idea of doing TV spec scripts. I seem to recall something about there being an ideal window to submit them and I'm pretty sure I missed that for this year (or else it's too close to over to make any difference) but it'll take a while anyway.

One question would just be where to get started on what to write for. Anything that's ending soon is probably a bad idea, I know, anything that's been around too long might have too many pitches already, and I'm thinking a serialized drama like Sleepy Hollow would be too hard, but- what assumptions are correct here and what aren't? Google returns a lot of results but it's hard to know who to listen to and what wisdom is still current.

I've got a couple of ideas for sitcoms but I don't want to neglect drama either and that's where I'm having trouble narrowing things down. (And is it still a rule that you don't actually submit to the show you've written but something like it?)

A general rule is that you want to write for a show that is a hit (to prove your marketability) that is somewhere between its 2nd and 5th season. Second season proves it has staying power, where shows that are upwards of five seasons are starting to wind down (and it's harder to come up with new ideas for them). Avoid heavily serialized stories. I don't think Sleepy Hollow is too serialized in what I've seen. It's more of a hybrid where it has the problem of the week that ties into a season-long arc.

You don't submit to the show you've actually written for because of legal reasons. But, it wouldn't really be you submitting either. It would be your manager or agent shopping your script around to (usually) new, unproven shows that are staffing and are similar to the show you've written.

These are basic things that have been passed down to me by a couple TV writers I have known, but I'm still trying to break in myself as well.

# ¿ May 10, 2014 21:58

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

areyoucontagious posted:

Also, since I have you here, I have a question about capitalization; two of the books I'm reading have contradictory information. One says that for a "selling script" I should capitalize every instance of a character's name, as well as plot-important props, sound effects, etc. The other book says that I should capitalize minimally, only when introducing a new character and rarely for sound effects and the like. Is there an appropriate way to do it?

Thanks too Bee for the advice. I'll tighten things up and then see if you guys can't rip it apart. I've been working on it for a little while, but this sort of creative writing doesn't come easy to me.

If it's a spec script looking to be sold -- then you want minimal capitalization. Introduction to characters, some sounds, emphasis. It also depends on the genre you're writing. I've read a lot of sci-fi and action scripts lately full of capitalization to underscore the HEART-STOPPING ACTION. Read more scripts in your genre to get a feel for the appropriate level.

On the other hand, if you've already been paid to write something and you're writing the shooting draft that's about to be sent for the UPM for budgeting, they greatly appreciate the whole capitalizing props thing because it makes their breakdowns so much easier.

# ¿ May 28, 2014 21:11

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

areyoucontagious posted:

Nah, this is just a draft that will someday make me a millionaire . I had been capitalizing every name, but went back through and changed it all back. If I want to highlight a super important prop, however, it's acceptable to capitalize it the first time it's introduced? Like say there's a really important book that introduce as a TOME, and then refer to it as book/tome throughout the rest of the script. Acceptable to capitalize TOME the first time and leave it normal the rest of the time?

That sounds about right to me.

# ¿ May 28, 2014 21:25

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Max22 posted:

That's generally true, but I still think incidental actions can be used as tools to control the rhythm of dialogue.

He lights a cigarette.

Just make sure they're more interesting than breathing. Of course, that should be true of every action in your script.

This is a step down. Breathing is at least visual. Thinking isn't.

I'm going to say the opposite. "Breathing" is directing the actor on what to do. "Thinking" is something an actor can interpret or a director can direct without the screenwriter stepping on their toes.

Edit: You want to tell an actor what to do (think) and not how to do it (through breathing).

hotsoupdinner fucked around with this message at 20:34 on May 30, 2014

# ¿ May 30, 2014 20:24

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Max22 posted:

You don't want to micro-manage a performance, but showing the reader an action will always be stronger than baldly relaying something that's internalized. Writing "he realizes" or "she thinks" is a poor choice when you can have your characters dig out an overlooked piece of evidence or chew on a Bic pen.

Digging out an overlooked piece of evidence works because it's a statement that an actor can interpret and it reads well on the page, but chewing on a pen? That's extremely micro-managing things and is exactly what readers and directors hate.

# ¿ May 30, 2014 21:58

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Smerdyakov posted:

Can you say more about this? My own experience is pretty limited, but other than marginal festivals and contests which seem more like PR stunts than actual attempts to find new writers, I haven't seen many places asking for original scripts. Again, this could be based on my own relative ignorance, so I'm genuinely curious. I don't have representation so it's likely I'm totally out of the loop, but I recently convinced myself that I need to start writing spec scripts for shows in order to get anywhere without actually filming things myself. I'd really appreciate any insight you have about what the modern portfolio of working screenwriters actually looks like.

I don't have much experience in what is actually being looked for, but I think an indication of the trend starting to change is that the Disney/ABC Writing Fellowship went from asking for two specs to asking for a spec and an original pilot.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2014 08:55

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Zypher posted:

Sure. The working screenwriters I know all have portfolios that are almost exclusively originals. And the agents, managers, and showrunners I know prefer reading originals because they're busy, have a lot of reading to do, and would rather be entertained by something new and original than read about the same characters over and over again.

Also most entry level writing positions are on new shows, not long running series (usually very little turnover, and if something opens up, they promote from within). On a new show, you're helping create the voice of the characters -- therefore, the people hiring are more interested in your ability to create characters than your ability to take a preexisting show's characters and mimic their voice.

The ideal portfolio, IMO, is to have a handful of polished original pilots and a long document of show ideas. The finished pilots serve to show competency, and your list of show ideas is your bread and butter. You would never show anyone your list (except maybe manager or agent) but it's something you mentally bring with you to every meeting you ever get. If MTV wants to do a show about mermaids, they're not going to buy your pilot you already wrote about mermaids because one small thing you wrote doesn't quite jive with the version they have in mind. But if you have an idea for a mermaid show, they sure would love to buy your idea and develop it with you.

This is a Good Post and is basically a more succinct way of putting things I've been told recently by writers who have been getting TV meetings lately. I appreciate the insight into why showrunners would look more at original ideas.

I have two pilot scripts that I've been polishing lately until they shine. And I have a couple "elevator pitches" for other series. Would you suggest I crack a third pilot or just cultivate more concepts?

# ¿ Jun 2, 2014 21:29

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

screenwritersblues posted:

I'm curious to see if anyone wants to read a beat sheet that I just finished. It's the third draft of it, I've been working on it for about a month now on and off, when the inspiration strikes me. I'm really happy with this one and I think I'm eventually going to keep writing it until one day, it hits the big screen.

I wouldn't mind giving it a read and giving some feedback. Need to keep my story structure skills sharp.

# ¿ Aug 15, 2014 22:03

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

screenwritersblues posted:

Drop me a line and I'll send you the link. I don't really want to post it here out in the open.

Sent. Looking forward to it.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2014 04:51

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Lethemonster posted:

I'm trying to work on my logline for a piece. So far I have;

'A young woman must pull herself through PTSD to investigate the disappearance of the policeman who failed her,'
'A young woman must push through her PTSD to investigate the disappearance of the policeman who failed her,'

or maybe;

'A young woman must face her recent trauma to investigate the policeman who failed her, and determine if he is a murderer, or a victim'.

Clunk clunk clunk. I'm awful at these. I'm going for a character driven thriller.

'Unwilling to forgive him and unable to forget what he caused, a young woman is dragged into investigating the disappearance of a disgraced policeman, hoping it is her chance to gain peace'.

Edit: 'A young woman beats her head against her keyboard trying to create a logline that is concise but not crap. Half the keys destroyed by her forehead, how will she finish?'

Maybe something to do with what caused the PTSD?

"A young woman must overcome PTSD to investigate the disappearance of the police officer who failed to protect her from ___."

# ¿ Aug 19, 2014 00:53

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Lethemonster posted:

I'm planning it as a mini series.

She was instrumental in catching a serial killer (arsonist) before the current story opens, but during those events the policeman decided she was involved instead of trying to help (Knew things she shouldn't, etc). He stopped doing his job properly, determined to catch her doing something, and in doing so more let people people die, culminating in the killer catching and trying to burn alive the heroine.

I've done a lot of research on PTSD, before I began writing this, for various personal reasons. It's also an important factor in the plot, as a lot of it is actually about she responds to the people she meets when she visits the place he disappeared from. She also has a fair few things on her conscience from the arsonist case.

I was actually having a hard time writing the log line and not making it sound like the policeman had done something physical or sexual to the main character and that was her traumatic event. I don't know if some early ones actually came across that way, or if it's just me being overly wary of making her sound like a 2-D victim.

Thanks for responses. I get stupidly nervous trying to show anyone anything; even loglines to strangers on the internet.

I'm going to guess that not many of us have experience with miniseries or writing miniseries since they generally don't sell unless there are big names attached.

But something that might be helpful on the TV front is to write a "premise" for your show in addition to a logline. A premise is basically a longer logline that explains what is going to happen every week on your show. List the show's format, genre, and what happens every week.

Formats are half-hour comedy, or hour-long drama. Also include whether the story is procedural, serialized, or a hybrid.

A quick and dirty example is, "My show is an hour-long, serialized, suspense thriller about..."

Then flesh that line to a paragraph, "Every week the main character [active verbs] in order to..."

Then start writing a series proposal. Add some paragraphs about setting, tone, characters, pilot plot, themes, episode loglines, and possible season arcs.

Series proposals are how a lot of shows are sold these days. If an exec likes the proposal, you get to pitch it.

The thing about TV loglines is that you're not writing a logline for a pilot, you're writing a logline for a series. It needs to be sustainable as a story told over several hours.

Try to look up examples of series proposals online. The one for True Detective is amazing in addition to being the closest thing to a miniseries. It describes the first season of the show perfectly and the effort and level of work that went into it is very evident. It's easy to see why it was sold even as a format that is a hard sell.

By all means start with a good logline, but if you're really series about writing it as a TV series, then making a good proposal really focuses your writing

# ¿ Aug 22, 2014 03:23

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

York_M_Chan posted:

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?

I think one of the most useful things I learned about short films (from a short film Oscar winning acquaintance of mine) is that short films need to do one thing and do it well. If too much is crammed in to a short film, it makes the film feel cluttered and the emotions feel cheap and unsatisfying. That's the most common problem I see with student work, everyone wants to make the next "Casablanca" or the next "Godfather" in 12 minutes. It just doesn't work.

That being said, a look at Oscar-winning or nominated short films isn't a bad place to start. They usually tend to be on the character study side of things.

From this past year, "Helium" (dir Anders Walter) was quite good. It won, although I personally enjoyed "Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before I Lose Everything, dir Xavier Legrand) more. They're both character-driven, both deal with very dark subject matter, although one does so whimsically and the other in a realistic manner.

# ¿ Aug 29, 2014 19:13

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Lethemonster posted:

I'm struggling to go from prose to screenplay. If a few people could look over my script and give advice on what description elements to lose but still keep the atmosphere/perspective etc I would be grateful.

I wouldn't mind giving it a look-over. Credentials: a BFA in the only industry left that doesn't require schooling.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2014 01:42

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Lethemonster posted:

I got my read over back from PoshAlligator and it was very helpful and polite. I know some people are concerned about getting things looked at that goons will be mean and snarky but he was just useful and thorough.

It's been good having other people to say what they do and don't need to read when I'm trying to pull out unnecessary detail.

Finding good people who will give constructive criticisms without being afraid to be honest are lifesavers. I send all my stuff to a couple people that I know will be brutally honest in tearing my work apart--not because they're mean, but because they want to help me make my story better.

The worst part of screenwriting classes or writer groups are the people who just say, "It's good," because they don't want to hurt my feelings or, "it's bad," because they get off on feeling superior.

# ¿ Sep 20, 2014 02:34

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

I'd be willing to bet they don't want a "part one" script. Part of these contests is being able to show that you can tell a complete, sustainable story within the boundaries of the guidelines. That being said, most good pilot script these days have a good cliffhanger hook to get the reader wanting to know more.

# ¿ Jan 23, 2015 22:05

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Lord of Butt: I am one of the interns doomed to read your script. I've read a lot of bad action scripts lately (along with a couple gems), so here are my two cents.

It's hard to get a good feel for the entirety of the script based on this one excerpt, but the dialogue here feels trite. Will doesn't feel like a badass, he feels like someone who's read too many pulp novels and watched too many movies and thinks what he's saying is badass. If that's what you're going for, then great. However if that is what you're going for, he should get his rear end beat.

Character motive and thought should not be left to dialogue. That is what subtext is for. Story in a movie is shown through a mix of action, dialogue, sound, music, and editing. If you watch the lead up to an action scene in a Tarantino movie, what are the characters talking about? Usually some pop culture thing. But you know what is about to happen because of what's on the screen, the editing, the visuals, and the music cues. If a character has to tell you what he's thinking, it's because the other elements are weak and need to be strengthened.

Please, please do not use voice over. It's so lazy and cheap. It's the ultimate form of telling instead of showing. I'm sure you can think of a hundred movies that use voice over effectively, but believe me, those are the exception and not the rule. For every good movie that utilizes effective voice over, there are 1000 lovely scripts that use it badly and will never get past an intern's desk.

The action is pretty concise and goes for the feeling of the fight (which is good) instead of choreographing it (which would be bad). The character reactions to the fight are honestly fine. Saying that the bikers are scared of the man who took out their leader is fine because it's act-able and it gives an insight into the mood of the scene. Saying that the man who took out their leader reminded them of their mothers would be bad because that's completely internal and unable to be seen on the screen. These character reactions give emotional cues to guide the audience's emotions. Creating a scene is all about the emotional manipulation of the audience, or so thought Alfred Hitchcock.

However, your VERB CHOICES leave something to be desired. 90% of the time you can find a better and more active verb than "is." Also in a screenplay people should never "begin to" or "start to" do anything. They either do it or they don't. The second you write an action is when they begin doing it. Anything else is fluff that slows the read.

The action writing itself could be more punchy (pun not intended). Make me feel something with the action. Break it up more. Action scenes should be exciting to read.

I actually like the line "but returning them with punishing ease," although "returns" would be a more active verb choice. It gives a sense as to how Will fights. Yes he can take these guys out, but this is how he does it. Plus it reads cool and action movies are all about the "Rule of Cool."

NEVER USE THE WORD SUDDENLY: It's a word that is supposed to speed things up and imply that what is coming next will be a surprise, but in reality it just slows down the action and takes the reader out of the script for a split second. Now the reader is expecting a surprise. If something happens suddenly just put what happens down, if it is sudden the reader will get it and if it is exciting the reader will also be excited.

# ¿ Feb 17, 2015 20:28

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

I'll read it. Just finished my development internship and am looking to keep my notes muscles active.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2015 21:10

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Do you want notes in the thread or emailed to you?

# ¿ Apr 5, 2015 17:22

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Mordiceius posted:

I've been adding in doing a scene outline after the treatment, but I've found that every time I go to do rewrites, I end up gutting/rewriting about half of my script dropping and adding complete plot points. Granted, these have only been about 10-12 page screenplays.

I'm sure I will get better and more focused on this over time, but right now I find it amusing how my scripts end up changing so much between the treatment and the first or second rewrite. Is this normal when you're a beginner?

This is normal at every level.

Stories evolve and your brain will make better connections between what works, what doesn't, and what your story needs as you're writing it.

IMO if your finished product is exactly like the first outline, it's probably terrible.

# ¿ Apr 8, 2015 07:04

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Rabble posted:

Hello screenwriting thread, I am new to the whole screenwriting thing (one month and counting) and wanted to get opinions on this script I wrote. It's inspiration was a New York City Midnight sample template. (They give you three words and you have to write a short script based on them.) I had to write a less than eight page script based on these words; "Ghost" "Oath" and "Chef."

If anyone would be so kind as to critique this 1.5 page script. I appreciate all the help I can get as I am trying to write scripts the "right" way and not just pump out crap.
The Chef
Log: Henry is late to his niece's birthday party.

Congratulations on making the plunge into writing! Everyone thinks they have a great script idea, but the people who actually put finger to keyboard and are willing to work to improve their craft are far fewer.

The story is rough. It's not incomprehensible, but the voice is stilted and unnatural. I think most of your problems can be solved by reading more professional, current scripts. Get a feel for different voices and styles and piece together something that works for you.

From a story perspective: There is no conflict. Henry is late to a thing and then goes to the thing and everything is fine. What makes this a story? More importantly, what makes this a story worth telling? What could happen to Henry to make this something more than "Henry is at one place and drives to another place?" Why is it only 1.5 pages? You have six and a half more pages to add conflict, motivation, and characterization.

From a structure perspective: The story is pretty front-loaded. Why do we need to see him chopping vegetables? Why is this the set up? It's literally just there so the story can be called "The Chef." If you cut out the first half page it would still be exactly the same story.

From a craft perspective: Fade in on the left. I know programs have that transition on the right, but read any current screenplay and it will be on the left. "Henry stands as the BROTHER, a 30-something male wearing casual clothes," --who cares what the brother wears unless it's important to the story. You do a lot of direction and over-explaining in your action. "He jerks the GEAR SELECTOR into reverse" "he pulls his keys from the ignition" -- too much info that is really unimportant. He reverses, parks, and rushes out of the car with his backpack. That's the important part. The audience knows how a driver makes a car reverse and knows that people take their keys out of the ignition when they leave a car. It's insulting to the reader to add all the banalities of every action. Only include things like that if they're somehow not normal or important. Like if he were to accidentally leave his keys in the ignition which in turn causes a problem later on. If a character does something in the normal way, there's no need to describe it.

From a style perspective: You use the verb "is" a lot. It's a boring verb. "Henry is expertly chops vegetables." 90% of the time there is a more active word to use than "is." "Henry expertly chops vegetables" is so much more visually appealing.

It's kinda hard to critique a script that is less than two pages long. Please don't let any of these notes dissuade you from continuing. I think the biggest problem a lot of new writers have is that they're unable to take criticism. Use criticism to make something better. Criticism doesn't mean someone hates your story. It means someone cares enough about your story to tell you ways to make it better. It will always hurt to have someone say something negative about something you've written. But it feels a lot better knowing that they pointed out a weakness so that you could turn it into a strength. Nothing is worse than someone telling you "this is good" or "this is bad" with no context. It means that the reader didn't care enough to tell you what they really thought.

I don't know if any of this helps, but I hope so. Don't give up! Always push forward.

# ¿ Aug 22, 2015 09:53

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Rabble posted:

Well, I don't think I have a great script idea and I am very aware of the fact that I'm just a hobbyist in a sea of people trying to "make it big." But I absolutely want as much constructive feedback I can get and your post was awesome.

I made a couple of changes to this thing from a technical and story standpoint, but I'm not sure how well I fixed the conflict because it's just a "moment in time" story. I also agree that him being a chef is inconsequential, it's really "Guy is busy and is unaware of the time" but since I had to use "Chef" he became a prep-cook. I don't think its perfect but I'd like to know if you think its better from a technical standpoint.

The Chef V2

Per your suggestion I will look into finding scripts to read.

Thank you!

From a structure perspective it's definitely improved. It flows better. The sentences are more active. There are still a couple moments where "is" is used as the verb. Another way to catch yourself from doing this is to also change any "-ing" words like carrying. In the line "Henry, now carrying a BACKPACK, runs towards his CAR," there is no written "is," but it's the implied verb for "carrying."

From a stylistic perspective you could still cut your sentences shorter. I once heard an interview with a writer who said that the goal of writing is to "Write something and then write it in half the words." This is doubly true of screenwriting. A good exercise is to avoid using commas and to avoid linking phrases with "and." Chop them up into short sentences instead and play around with the wording to make it flow.

From a story perspective it still runs into the same problem. You've hit the nail on the head in saying that it's just a "moment in time." The thing about a moment in time is that it isn't a story. But you do have story threads running through it, things that could have been picked up on. Like the ticket on his car. Why is it there? What problems will it cause? That's the first interesting thing that happens to him and it's ignored. Same with honking at the light. Those are the two moments where the character makes a decision. These are the moments where story could flow from.

Which brings me to character. Character is the most important thing in a story. It's a shame that this character is just a guy who is a prep cook only because the contest rules called for it. Stories are characters making decisions and dealing with the consequences of their decisions. Plot and character are intertwined. There would be no plot without this specific person making these specific decisions. If you have a story where the characters are interchangeable without changing the plot, then you have poor characterization and a weak story. I would recommend reading, "The Art of Dramatic Writing," by Lajos Egri. It's got some cool theories about how character drives story. I don't always agree with the theories, but it's definitely broadened my thinking and made me a better writer.

# ¿ Aug 26, 2015 18:44

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

djwetmouse posted:

Been reading through the thread because I've reached the point where I need to get some of my ideas down on paper. I don't expect it to go anywhere from there.
What I was wondering if you've collectively made a list of scripts to read that clearly define the genre?
What is the best example of and action script, a romantic comedy, a coming of age drama, horror movie? Also are there any scripts of documentaries that would help define the style?
Thanks for any help you have.

I think the way to go is to read the best of every genre. Read the best horror, comedy, romance, action. Read both the classics and the modern classics. Modern scripts often sound different than older scripts, so it's important to see how styles have changed over the years. You can often find the "for your consideration" scripts for recent awards-driven films online legally on blogs.

I would also say it's important to take the genre you'd like to write and, in addition to reading the best scripts, read the worst scripts you can as well. Read the flops so you can get an idea of why they didn't work.

# ¿ Aug 26, 2015 18:53

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Golden Bee posted:

Can you post some of your previous work? What locations and actors do you have access to?

Definitely wanted to ask this myself. A lot of writers would feel more comfortable giving up an old short script if they know that it's in good hands.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2015 04:10

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

And even if they do end up paying you, you'll be hosed because you'll be making a pittance writing someone else's lovely lovely script instead of writing your own ideas and developing your own backlog of work.

I know a couple people who take on such jobs and basically it's someone who has no concept of visual storytelling giving you a nonsensical first draft or outline and giving you a couple hundred bucks while also constantly giving you conflicting notes.

# ¿ Nov 19, 2015 02:41

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Sober posted:

I don't know if it matters or not but even though I live in Toronto the list of opportunities isn't that great, at least what I'm aiming for. There's a lot of people who bounce around trying to do smaller projects but personally I'd rather be doing the grunt work of writing on a series. The only problem is the TV writing scene in Canada in general is pretty dire vs. going to the US. So as much as I would love to just sit around and write a bunch of stuff I can one day try to pitch I feel like I'm missing something in the meantime.

Networking is super hosed too, there's literally only one or two avenues to meet either other screenwriters who are at my level (have written but nothing produced to show for it) or working writers/writer-producers, and you're lucky if they decide to show up to those.

So as much as it sucks it feels like even the non-scammy ones are either decent networking opportunities or I should just double down for LA somehow by trying to get into production studio programs over there.

There's literally a single screenwriting program in Canada, it only takes 8 people in the entire country per year, and apparently people who have gone through it are still backlogged on finding work through agents they meet through that most of the time.

I feel your best bet might be to send stuff to reputable competitions or fellowships. That way you're constantly developing your skills, building a backlog of work, and getting that work seen in some capacity.

# ¿ Nov 19, 2015 19:17

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Alan_Shore posted:

Here's something I can't find the answer to:

A scene within a scene, specifically a character watching a news report, then we go into the news report which shows a quick selection of characters and places. How to format this?

So far I've started as

NEWSCASTER (V.O.)
Blahblahblah

... and then I'll just use scene headings for where the news report takes place before resuming the scene. Is that right? Do I have to make it clear in the action that we're following the news report or will the constant voiceover be enough?

On one hand this sounds decent, but on the other hand it sounds like it could get confusing without an example of what it would look like.

I think what it boils down to is how important what is going on in the newscast is. Is what we are seeing exposition, or is it actual character information being relayed?

If it's just exposition I would probably do something like this to avoid breaking up the flow with a ton of sluglines:

On the screen we see images and clips of people in location A doing X, Y, and Z.

If we're cutting to actual characters doing important things that affect the story directly, sluglines might be the way to go. I would still be careful of the flow while reading it.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2016 19:41

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Alan_Shore posted:

Agreed! It's a news report that will introduce some important characters and information, so sluglines I guess. I'll have a play and see how awful it looks!

Post up the scene after if you don't mind and we can tell you how it reads to us.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2016 20:34

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Mordiceius posted:

Odd question that I'm not sure if anyone knows - What are the laws regarding remakes/adaptations of foreign films?

As an exercise, I wanted to try writing an English adaptation of a foreign film (the one I'm considering is a 1990's Japanese film), but would I actually be able to do anything with it? Or is it just something that I could only ever use as a practice exercise?

Unless you have the rights to the original film, you're better off just writing your own idea that you can use as a sample and send to competitions.

# ¿ Feb 22, 2016 01:28

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

To clarify about my position of doing it as a "writing exercise."

You could spend a lot of time writing it and making it really good and then not doing anything with it because you don't have the rights to it.

Or you can spend all that time writing something that will actually help you move forward in your career.

# ¿ Feb 22, 2016 01:39

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

I think the most important rule to follow in this situation is to make sure that the formatting doesn't get in the way of the flow of the read. All can be forgiven by a reader if the scene reads just as funny/scary/sad/happy/exciting as it's supposed to.

# ¿ Apr 10, 2016 18:15

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Baby Babbeh posted:

So, here's a simple question with a no-doubt complicated answer: how do you write a screenplay? Like, what does your actual process look like from start to finish? I'm trying to build a daily writing habit by writing for a few hours in the evening but I feel like I don't know what to do to use those hours productively.

The hardest and longest part is breaking the story and planning. That's where the grind is for me -- making sure everything serves the story in a satisfactory way. Those days are generally less structured for me as I may be researching, plotting, outlining, or watching movies in order to get a feel for the tone I want. Then the actual writing part is easy - "rear end in chair time" as one of my teachers would put it.

When I spend enough time planning, the rest really falls into place. At my most productive, I was able to write multiple drafts of two different pilots as well as half a feature in twelve weeks. Whether it was quality work is another story.

# ¿ Apr 18, 2016 19:48

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Baby Babbeh posted:

Are there any forums or online communities for screenwriting that aren't totally bad? Maybe a slack channel or something? I feel like I want to network and critique scripts but most of what I've seen, like most writing communities in general, is either really small, dead, or kinda lovely.

Would also love to know this as well. Any community I've come across is subpar at best. I would definitely get involved in a slack channel or something similar.

We writers need to keep each other accountable!

# ¿ Jun 16, 2016 00:25

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

Alan_Shore posted:

I've been writing a ridiculous TV show thanks to the advice here. I have a formatting question. I've written:

They enter

INT. CAPTAIN'S OFFICE - DAY

The captain's office belongs to...

I just want a smoother way of them entering the office, instead of writing something like "They open the door and walk in." But do I need something after "they enter"? Like "they enter..." OR "they enter --" etc.? I guess it's a stylistic choice?

Also, I've been using the free Writerduet and it's pretty wonderful. I used to use CELTX but they discontinued the program and it has a fair few bugs. Writerduet has a lot of useful features, so it's worth a try!

Without knowing too much about how the scene is supposed to go this sounds like a stylistic choice based on how you want the scene to flow. Is it terse, leisurely, romantically charged? Those will affect your word usage.

# ¿ Jul 5, 2016 17:53

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

magnificent7 posted:

Are there any good books/sites about adapting books? Besides the movie Adaptation, I mean.

I just read Day of the Triffids, and now I'm watching the 1962 movie. Yikes. The book is SO similar to The Walking Dead, I'm surprised it hasn't been re-made.

Are you looking for information on the business or the art of it? Because when it comes to the art of it, one of the more useful things to do is just compare and contrast books and their film adaptations. Note similarities and differences in story, character, tone. Think critically about why each choice was made and turn that same critical thinking towards the book you want to adapt. What makes the work cinematic? What makes the story worth telling in a different medium?

# ¿ Nov 7, 2016 21:27

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

magnificent7 posted:

GREAT feedback, thanks. I've done that part, (compare, contrast book vs. film) but I was wondering if there are any common principles (rules hahah no seriously) when approaching an adaptation.

The only rules are don't bother adapting a book unless you own the rights and don't bother buying the rights unless you're certain you can sell the script.

# ¿ Nov 9, 2016 04:46

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

SkaAndScreenplays posted:

THE ARRIVAL IS REALLY GOOD and Eric Heisserer wrote some really cool stuff about how he went about making linguistics and stuff interesting and engaging.

Loved the film. Met Heisserer once and he's got some great ideas that I can't wait to see more of.

# ¿ Nov 15, 2016 21:38

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

SkaAndScreenplays posted:

So I've finished my 1 hour pilot and finally formatted it properly if anyone is down to read and give some comments I can link you the plaintext google doc or the .pdf.

If interested email me at rdonalddesjardin@gmail.com and I'll be happy to return the favor in the future or now.

I'll be sending you an email.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2017 02:21

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# ¿ May 1, 2024 23:40

hotsoupdinner: Apr 12, 2007; eat up

SkaAndScreenplays posted:

I'm going to shamelessly take credit for this...

In other news I've been tossing around the idea of starting up a Thunderdome style weekly short-writing competition strictly for script formats. If anybody is down it would be great to work together on that sort of thing.

I'd also highly advise anyone in this thread not familiar with it to give a shot at Thunderdome for a couple of weeks. It has definitely helped my storytelling skills and the people there are fun and helpful.

I think this is a great idea, even if it is less of a formal contest and more of a writing exercise to keep us honest. Like a weekly "Write 5 pages max on a theme" sort of thing.

# ¿ Jan 11, 2017 20:04

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > The Screenwriting Thread: Without Us You Would Be Staring at A Blank Screen

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