Thursday, October 30, 2014
Monday, October 27, 2014
Protect your screenplay
The most important thing you must do before you show your completed screenplay to anyone you dont know is have it protected by the WGA West or East organizations. They are very easy to find on the internet and have online forms to submit your screenplay to be registered. Once registered you will get an official document and a registration number. The cost for this is 25 dollars.
You can also get copyright protection to be extra careful, but for my screenplays so far I have not found this necessary.
You can also get copyright protection to be extra careful, but for my screenplays so far I have not found this necessary.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Where do you get Screenwriting Inspiration?
Where do these ideas come from? How can you get inspired with what has been called the most difficult of all art forms to master.
For me it comes to me either when I am driving or when I am sleeping. One of the problems when your are sleeping is that very often you forget what you were thinking about when you wake up. I am definitely not writing down ideas in the middle of the night so I don't forget my thoughts, but maybe I should.
Great ideas for a movie are few and far between and that certainly comes through when you consider how many actually good high quality movies are made each year. The reason for this is because of politics and other unknown reasons, but the obvious other reason is because it is extremely difficult to think about a great idea for a movie and then see it through to its completion. This is especially true if your new to the field and trying to break in for the first time, trying to get past all the middle men and agents out there.
What I have done so far and I have started writing my 4th screenplay, is to start writing once you get the new idea or inspiration to make sure that the idea doesn't die on the vine. Start the process moving forward before you lose or forget your new idea!
The main thing is to KEEP WRITING!
For me it comes to me either when I am driving or when I am sleeping. One of the problems when your are sleeping is that very often you forget what you were thinking about when you wake up. I am definitely not writing down ideas in the middle of the night so I don't forget my thoughts, but maybe I should.
Great ideas for a movie are few and far between and that certainly comes through when you consider how many actually good high quality movies are made each year. The reason for this is because of politics and other unknown reasons, but the obvious other reason is because it is extremely difficult to think about a great idea for a movie and then see it through to its completion. This is especially true if your new to the field and trying to break in for the first time, trying to get past all the middle men and agents out there.
What I have done so far and I have started writing my 4th screenplay, is to start writing once you get the new idea or inspiration to make sure that the idea doesn't die on the vine. Start the process moving forward before you lose or forget your new idea!
The main thing is to KEEP WRITING!
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Be Wary of Script Coverage Companies
What is script coverage? Very simply its when you pay a company as much as 200 dollars to have some experts review your screenplay.
DO you have a guarantee that the people who read your script are in fact movie experts or even worked in the field? No.
Do you have a guarantee of getting an agent or having your work sent to a production company if they like your script. No.
What are the odds or your script getting a SUBMIT rating, rather than a PASS? Less that 5%.
So your paying as much as 200 dollars for a 5% or less chance of getting anything in return. Just some arbitrary opinions on people you dont know and whose credentials are not published by the company.
Is there are better way of getting someone else's opinion? Or just to have some else see your work? What I found out the hard way was that you get far more for your money from a web site like FIVERR, where the fees are only 5 dollars. Of course there are other web sites like FIVERR out there that could be another option. You can also use family members or friends. Feedback on your script is vital to your screenwriting success, but just be smart about it.
I have also tried a few screenwriting contests, but your odds there are pretty low as well.
The best thing you can do is just keep writing and creating and doing research online.
DO you have a guarantee that the people who read your script are in fact movie experts or even worked in the field? No.
Do you have a guarantee of getting an agent or having your work sent to a production company if they like your script. No.
What are the odds or your script getting a SUBMIT rating, rather than a PASS? Less that 5%.
So your paying as much as 200 dollars for a 5% or less chance of getting anything in return. Just some arbitrary opinions on people you dont know and whose credentials are not published by the company.
Is there are better way of getting someone else's opinion? Or just to have some else see your work? What I found out the hard way was that you get far more for your money from a web site like FIVERR, where the fees are only 5 dollars. Of course there are other web sites like FIVERR out there that could be another option. You can also use family members or friends. Feedback on your script is vital to your screenwriting success, but just be smart about it.
I have also tried a few screenwriting contests, but your odds there are pretty low as well.
The best thing you can do is just keep writing and creating and doing research online.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Screenwriting: Review of a craft
Screenwriting is a job, and its job you have to do every day. I have to admit that I don't write every day but I do continue to write a book about my now completed IT career, which was very challenging.
To be honest its been a very tough process even getting an agent, and I have been quite amazed at how impossible a hill this new profession has been to climb. I have learned a great deal over the past year, but I need to know much more.
So how did i start to learn this craft. First I read many screenwriting books and there are quite a few below and they are valuable for screenwriting tips and screenwriting ideas. Feel free to select the ones you like below which will take you to Amazon.com. I also got a few reviews of my first screenplay entitled "RB" on FIVER, which is a website where you pay 5 dollars for a small task and some advice. I have been both impressed and very disappointed at some of the results of my five dollar reviews. I also see many movies every year and i have also started a blog about my movie reviews. In my many years of seeing many movies i am always stunned at how many bad movies are made when you consider how hard it is to break into the field as either a screenwriter or actor or director.
I have also entered a few screenwriting competitions, the best one I have heard about is BLUECAT. Its important to research and find out which ones are the best ones, because you don't want to waste your money. Screenwriting is hard work and there is no magic bullet. Keep writing is the secret. If your inclined, perhaps a screenwriting school would be something you would want to try.
To be honest its been a very tough process even getting an agent, and I have been quite amazed at how impossible a hill this new profession has been to climb. I have learned a great deal over the past year, but I need to know much more.
So how did i start to learn this craft. First I read many screenwriting books and there are quite a few below and they are valuable for screenwriting tips and screenwriting ideas. Feel free to select the ones you like below which will take you to Amazon.com. I also got a few reviews of my first screenplay entitled "RB" on FIVER, which is a website where you pay 5 dollars for a small task and some advice. I have been both impressed and very disappointed at some of the results of my five dollar reviews. I also see many movies every year and i have also started a blog about my movie reviews. In my many years of seeing many movies i am always stunned at how many bad movies are made when you consider how hard it is to break into the field as either a screenwriter or actor or director.
I have also entered a few screenwriting competitions, the best one I have heard about is BLUECAT. Its important to research and find out which ones are the best ones, because you don't want to waste your money. Screenwriting is hard work and there is no magic bullet. Keep writing is the secret. If your inclined, perhaps a screenwriting school would be something you would want to try.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
SCREENWRITING SUCCESS
There is nothing easy about breaking into this business. The first challenge is getting an agent, and even that is difficult.
I have written 3 screenplays so far, my first is entitled RB - for Running Back. Its a story about a young man named Jay who was an exceptional athlete in high school and was a stand out running back on his high school football team. Unfortunately in his senior year he gets hurt and all his dreams of College and the NFL are lost on one play. Ten years later what could have been haunts him as he goes through life in his boring job and it even affects his relationship with his girlfriend.
It turns out that his biggest fan in high school is also a great filmmaker and he puts videos out on YOUTUBE showing Jay's greatest breakaway runs in high school. These videos make getting over the past much more difficult for our hero and then the other player who caused Jay's injury gets out of prison and that leads to a climactic ending.
Jay's last name Franklin is the name of a good friend I met on my last ever contract in IT, Roland Franklin. Unfortunately Roland passed away back in May at only 48. It was a horrible shock.
During the last year I have gotten screen coverage for my script, which I don't recommend because its mostly about paying people to review your script and things don't go anywhere after that.
What I have done is probably the best and cheapest current way of at least getting some feedback about your work. Try www.fiverr.com and pay five dollars to have part or all of your screenplay critiqued by someone who has some experience and expertise with the art of screenwriting.
Screenwriting has been called the most difficult of all art forms to master.
As I have heard from others so many times; keep writing and creating every day.
I have written 3 screenplays so far, my first is entitled RB - for Running Back. Its a story about a young man named Jay who was an exceptional athlete in high school and was a stand out running back on his high school football team. Unfortunately in his senior year he gets hurt and all his dreams of College and the NFL are lost on one play. Ten years later what could have been haunts him as he goes through life in his boring job and it even affects his relationship with his girlfriend.
It turns out that his biggest fan in high school is also a great filmmaker and he puts videos out on YOUTUBE showing Jay's greatest breakaway runs in high school. These videos make getting over the past much more difficult for our hero and then the other player who caused Jay's injury gets out of prison and that leads to a climactic ending.
Jay's last name Franklin is the name of a good friend I met on my last ever contract in IT, Roland Franklin. Unfortunately Roland passed away back in May at only 48. It was a horrible shock.
During the last year I have gotten screen coverage for my script, which I don't recommend because its mostly about paying people to review your script and things don't go anywhere after that.
What I have done is probably the best and cheapest current way of at least getting some feedback about your work. Try www.fiverr.com and pay five dollars to have part or all of your screenplay critiqued by someone who has some experience and expertise with the art of screenwriting.
Screenwriting has been called the most difficult of all art forms to master.
As I have heard from others so many times; keep writing and creating every day.
Things I have learned so far
Of all the things I have learned from screenwriting so far in my young career, the most important probably is "Keep on writing".
I have completed 2 screenplays so far and I am still working on my 3rd, unable to come up with a great ending. They say you should work on something else and then go back to your other screenplay when your stuck, so right now I am working on the book about my career in Information Technology which is entitled "Because of the Money".
I found this web site that preaches just that, called Keep Writing and its worth looking at, if only to keep you inspired.
As far as dealing with agents, one thing I found it is - never ask an agent what movie or movies he has been involved with. One agent in particular actually hung up on me - twice when I dared to ask him about this resume.
As far as script coverage services, I have found in my one experience that its not worth it. Your better off going to fiver.com and pay only 5 dollars for some good feedback and advice.
Screenplay contests are OK, but you have to find the right ones. Look at the Keep Writing Web site I mention above for more information about the ones to enter. One of the good ones is BLUECAT, which I entered some months ago.
Some ideas I have found over the past year is that if you have writers block then write anything, you can always go back and fix it later. Be prepared for many re-writes before you are completed with any play or screenplay. Neil Simon wrote his first play "Come blow your horn" no less than 26 times, with each re-write including about 120 pages before he was completed. I highly recommend Neil Simon's biographies, because both of these books talk about his writing career as well as his challenging personal life:
Rewrites: A Memoir
The Play Goes On: A Memoir
I also found something interesting about some ideas about making a short film.
Short Film Ideas
I have completed 2 screenplays so far and I am still working on my 3rd, unable to come up with a great ending. They say you should work on something else and then go back to your other screenplay when your stuck, so right now I am working on the book about my career in Information Technology which is entitled "Because of the Money".
I found this web site that preaches just that, called Keep Writing and its worth looking at, if only to keep you inspired.
As far as dealing with agents, one thing I found it is - never ask an agent what movie or movies he has been involved with. One agent in particular actually hung up on me - twice when I dared to ask him about this resume.
As far as script coverage services, I have found in my one experience that its not worth it. Your better off going to fiver.com and pay only 5 dollars for some good feedback and advice.
Screenplay contests are OK, but you have to find the right ones. Look at the Keep Writing Web site I mention above for more information about the ones to enter. One of the good ones is BLUECAT, which I entered some months ago.
Some ideas I have found over the past year is that if you have writers block then write anything, you can always go back and fix it later. Be prepared for many re-writes before you are completed with any play or screenplay. Neil Simon wrote his first play "Come blow your horn" no less than 26 times, with each re-write including about 120 pages before he was completed. I highly recommend Neil Simon's biographies, because both of these books talk about his writing career as well as his challenging personal life:
Rewrites: A Memoir
The Play Goes On: A Memoir
I also found something interesting about some ideas about making a short film.
Short Film Ideas
Screenwriting Format
One of the most important things you have to learn about writing a screenplay is formatting it correctly. The problem is that producers see so many screenplays each day that they actually look for an excuse to reject them even before they are even 10 pages into reading your hard work.
If you make any mistakes in formatting, especially early on within the first 10 pages, your screenplay will be tossed into the trash bin like so many others.
The three major parts of a screenplay are the scene headings, narrative description and dialogue.
In my experience the best way to master the syntax of these 3 basic parts of a screen are to read as many screenplays as you can and the rest will come naturally.
The #1 mistake I made in my early screenplays was to mix scene headings and narrative descriptions together. The key thing to remember is that the Scene headings only consist of the the camera location (EXT for external and INT for internal), the scene location and whether its DAY or NIGHT and that's all.
As far as the Narrative description or action, that easy. You just description the action in lower case under the Scene heading and never combine this with the scene heading. Describe the action that is going on, any sound that may be happening or visual images.
The dialog as far as formatting is the easy part. Just the person name and underneath what they are saying, etc. The person's name should always be in caps. When mentioning a new character in any screenplay, the first time his/her name is mentioned that name should always be in caps.
Over time the formatting of a good screenplay will become second nature to you and of course its always a great idea to invest in some kind of a screenwriting formatting tool and there are several available. This is a much better idea than trying to format your screenplay perfectly using something like Microsoft Word and using the tool will save you a lot of time and frustration.
So what is the best screenwriting software?
One of the best products out there for formatting a screenplay correctly and this is the one that I have used successfully to write all 3 of my screenplays is called
FIRST DRAFT
I highly recommend this product.
If you make any mistakes in formatting, especially early on within the first 10 pages, your screenplay will be tossed into the trash bin like so many others.
The three major parts of a screenplay are the scene headings, narrative description and dialogue.
In my experience the best way to master the syntax of these 3 basic parts of a screen are to read as many screenplays as you can and the rest will come naturally.
The #1 mistake I made in my early screenplays was to mix scene headings and narrative descriptions together. The key thing to remember is that the Scene headings only consist of the the camera location (EXT for external and INT for internal), the scene location and whether its DAY or NIGHT and that's all.
As far as the Narrative description or action, that easy. You just description the action in lower case under the Scene heading and never combine this with the scene heading. Describe the action that is going on, any sound that may be happening or visual images.
The dialog as far as formatting is the easy part. Just the person name and underneath what they are saying, etc. The person's name should always be in caps. When mentioning a new character in any screenplay, the first time his/her name is mentioned that name should always be in caps.
Over time the formatting of a good screenplay will become second nature to you and of course its always a great idea to invest in some kind of a screenwriting formatting tool and there are several available. This is a much better idea than trying to format your screenplay perfectly using something like Microsoft Word and using the tool will save you a lot of time and frustration.
So what is the best screenwriting software?
One of the best products out there for formatting a screenplay correctly and this is the one that I have used successfully to write all 3 of my screenplays is called
FIRST DRAFT
I highly recommend this product.
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