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Griff M. posted:I'm working on my first feature, and so far I'm off to a rough start. I recognize that feeling, too. Every step I take I'm unsatisfied with it and just can't seem to do my wonderful, profound idea justice. Either some of the beats are just not as good as the others, or some character can't manage to be as much part of the story as the others, and in the end some stupid line or cut I can't seem to get on paper properly. The way I see it, it's a constant bummer and in the end I can never be as excited as I was before I started writing. It's only when I end up in deeper discussions about the script with directors and producers that I usually start understanding that 95 percent of the stuff I wanted to be in there, actually is. When you're done writing, go back to the notes you had describing the diamond idea you had. It's usually a lot less profound than the script you ended up with. But then again, that might just be me, I'm a notorious perfectionist. (Hi, thread!)
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May 13, 2012 07:50
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I'm plotting, re-plotting and re-re-plotting my graduation script for my film school. I can't let myself start writing scenes until I've mapped everything out or things'll go all over the place. I've got to focus on the technical side first or else I'll be unable to filter good from bad ideas. All in all it's going reasonably well, but I'm not really good at it and probably never will be. Not an excuse to quit doing it, though, but it's kind of depression I always have to go through this phase of doing something I can't do to do something I'm good at. 
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Jun 8, 2012 21:14
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screenwritersblues posted:I decided that it was in my best interest that I went back and restarted my script from square one. The idea had changed a lot since I started to write it, but luckily I wasn't too deep into the story, thankfully, but it had to be done and I like this story a lot better than the one I was working on. You'll run into that problem a lot if you don't plan in advance. Just open a second word document, name it "GOOD IDEAS" and put everything not remotely interesting for your story's structure in there. That way you won't run into trouble halfway.
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Jun 19, 2012 22:35
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Slowly gaining ground on my graduation script. It needs to be good so I spent a lot of time rewriting the outline. I'm really happy with how it turned out - but that doesn't make the first draft of my treatment any less lovely. I'm too much of a control freak to be a writer, really.
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Jul 9, 2012 18:01
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bushisms.txt posted:I wrote the whole thing on my phone First screenwriting advice: invest in a keyboard. They're pretty cool - I'm using one right now!
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Sep 19, 2012 20:23
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If TV's your thing, https://sites.google.com/site/tvwriting/home has a pretty good collection of TV scripts. (It even has the Terra Nova bible, which always gets a chuckle out of me)
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Sep 21, 2012 18:54
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Sporadic posted:I know the rule is normally no images ever but the last time I posted about purchased script having images, the response wasn't that negative towards it. Why would I want a world map? How would it be relevant (like, for shooting, casting, editing...)? I don't want to sound like a prick, but I'm exactly in the same boat as you are (screenplay set in a fictional world) and I've been banged over the head with the fact that I should never ever need to insert a world map. And if I do, the need should emerge from the story. Take game of thrones for example: okay, there is some kind of world map in the opening credits, but the only relevant information you need to get started is: the wall is up north and there's a sea separating two continents. Whether King's Landing lies south of Winterfell is interesting, but not relevant. Unless your producer is going to be the biggest goon ever, I think he's not going to care. I've personally had more luck selling these kinds of stories with two-three subtle pieces of art so people know what the look and feel of the thing will be like. (that said: I'd advise making a world map for yourself, but you probably already know that )
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Sep 24, 2012 14:33
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Working on developing sitcom constellations and settings at the moment. Anyone have any experience with this and care to give me some pointers to maximize the potential funny?
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Dec 13, 2012 17:56
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STORY is pretty much the only thing you absolutely have to read. Other than that, I mainly read dramaturgical analyses of other films. If you speak German, there's a book named "Drehbuch Reloaded" I found to be pretty cool. Basically it's a dramaturgical analysis of films like Amores Perros or Eternal Sunshine. But then again I'm a sucker for structure tables. Might not be your beef. Also, read scripts. Get started here: https://sites.google.com/site/tvwriting/home.
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Jan 23, 2013 12:01
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There's some unproduced screenplay awards, maybe you can find some of those screenplays on google. Seriously, though, read a screenplay and then watch the movie. It's more fun than you think - it's like reading a book and then watching the film, only they didn't leave out any of your favourite parts. Alternatively, you could read a TV script and then watch the show.
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Jan 30, 2013 06:58
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By the way, not sure if this was posted yet: http://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNewsreel/wordpress/2013/01/02/read-30-2012-oscar-hopeful-screenplays/ Oscar-nominated screenplays.
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Jan 30, 2013 09:47
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Just do it. Try to keep your text as short and snappy as you can. Don't get lost in description. Once you finish, use the time with your creative headache to format that puppy.
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Apr 26, 2013 06:00
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Hey guys, I like reading books on screenwriting when I'm not screenwriting. Has anyone read Vorhaus' "The Comic Toolbox"? And: should I?
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Apr 29, 2013 10:43
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Golden Bee posted:Screenwriting books are a great way to avoid reading screenplays, or writing screenplays. If you read 3-4, you can sidestep a writing career entirely. Not an answer to my question. I read and write plenty of everything.
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May 1, 2013 09:01
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Pudgygiant posted:Let's say I have a really good idea for a TV show, good enough that even people who hate me think it's a good idea, but I have neither the talent nor the patience to write a treatment for it. Where can I go from there? Are there some cheap hacks out there (or on here) that, given a rough framework and a couple hundred bucks, will do a decent enough job on a treatment that I can push it? Unless you've already got 5 hits under your belt and can get a great writer to write it for you, you're better off writing it yourself. Like every creative business, we've all got ideas.
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May 12, 2013 18:06
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Mike Works posted:More info: the protagonist is a guy in his mid 30's who's stuck in life, wants to be ambitious, but is going nowhere. Still lives with his parents. He decides to take this job overseas hoping that it'll kickstart his life and ambition. It's in this new country that he meets the unique girl this girl who has strengths where his weaknesses are, and vice versa. The script contrasts the guy's established North American family live, job, and ideals with her own (Asian) perspective on those same themes. That's why I want to establish his bleak way of life before he moves (and I'm thinking he'll be moving back home in the third act, possibly with her). Try asking yourself where the story lies: is it a romance with an assassin, or is it a coming of age/emancipation story? If it's a romance, the former life in the US seems irrelevant; if it's coming of age, the assassin thing might even be a good mid point. But I could be way off-base here, as I can't possibly know what's in your head.
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Jul 11, 2013 08:19
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Sataere posted:I've noticed everyone universally agrees not to start a story with a flashback. What about starting a story in the middle? Just one scene that sets a tone of where the movie is going to end up. The thing with starting with flashbacks is you're trying to get people invested in a character through an event in the past instead of the present. It generally works if you do stuff like Spielberg and reveal the backstorywound in the first scene. What you are talking about is actually a trick often used in biopics: You start with the second act turning point (i.e. the protagonist's worst possible moment) and then have the movie be one huge flashback to the life story. It's actually quite common. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind does this, for example, by starting with Clem and Joel's second encounter. (okay, added difficulty with that movie is that it's actually tricking you into believing it's the chronological start, but that's a different story) The important part is the decision which moment to start the movie with. Generally speaking, if this is a three act hero's journey, you're best off taking the 2nd act turning point because that's what's usually done. But then again do whatever you want. Rules are meant to be broken, yaddayadda.
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Oct 3, 2013 15:19
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I probably posted this one before but it's gotten even more awesome now that they uploaded the entire third season of Breaking Bad: Welcome to TV writing nirvana
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Dec 15, 2013 08:36
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 15:37 |
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Judging by the first six pages, you really, really ought to truncate. There's a lot of "did you hear?!" and talking about stuff instead of stuff actually happening. Leave that stuff out, figure out how you can do it more compactly. Get to the conflict as soon as possible - six minutes in and I only know there's a dude with panic attacks who wants to make a movie. But he's not making one yet. I think your descriptions are fine, but your dialogue is off - both in what they say and the way they say it. Try reading it out loud, you'll see what works and what doesn't. E: for example, has any mom ever asked their son what they are up to? Do they really want to know? another edit: 8 pages in and the conflict is established. "Dude needs to make the best movie ever to stay in college. Problem is: He's got massive panic attacks." You can establish that in two scenes. (Not going to go into whether that premise is interesting or not, but I'm not feeling your main character's conflict, a guy who keeps repeating what he can't do isn't that sympathetic, at least let him try and fail massively so we know he's not faking it and actually feel his pain.) Otcho fucked around with this message at 17:46 on May 15, 2014 |
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May 15, 2014 17:39
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