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10 Mar 05 - 06:43 PM (#1431903) Subject: Screenplay help From: gnu I would like to learn about screenplay writing. I searched the net to see if I could find a screenplay to study. What I found was screenwriting software. Of course, it all looks nicely advertised to get my $$$. Any 'Cats got some good advice ? guidance? |
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10 Mar 05 - 11:33 PM (#1432012) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: M.Ted You can find screenplays of most of the great films in bookstores(or on line)--the great sound films, at least. There are also a number of decent books about screenwriting--I suggest buying whatever you find a a used bookstore-- The filmwriting software isn't going to teach you how to write--the books probably won't either, but they will tell you about the way that a story and a script should be structured. Films are really created by editing, though, and if you study that instead, you will actually be able to make movies--especially since, what with DV, it costs nearly nothing to shoot, and you can edit on your laptop-- |
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10 Mar 05 - 11:59 PM (#1432024) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: CarolC JtS is using some very good screenwriting software that was recommended to him by my son, who is in his senior (4th) year of film school. He's also using a few very good books on screenwriting as well. He's not available for me to get the information right now, but I'll ask him when I can and get back to you with what I find out. |
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11 Mar 05 - 12:02 AM (#1432025) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: CarolC M.Ted's suggestion is a good one, too. JtS is reading as many screenplays of films for which he has a lot of respect as he can find, and learning a lot from them in the process. |
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11 Mar 05 - 12:38 AM (#1432038) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: 12-stringer Hey, gnu, try here for free downloadable screenplays (some pdf, some html, some text). The links page connects to additional sites. There are quite a few of these, at least one of which specializes in horror/sf/fantasy stuff. http://www.dailyscript.com/index.html |
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11 Mar 05 - 05:39 AM (#1432106) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: katlaughing Have a look at the classes offered at Francis Ford Copalla's American Zoetrope site. Be sure to take the tour of the "Virtual Studio." When I was a writer member, for every five stories I read and critiqued, one of mine would receive the same by the other members. It was quite useful and fun to read other people's works, for ideas, tips, etc. There is a LOT available there and it takes some looking, but well worth it, imo. kat |
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11 Mar 05 - 07:53 AM (#1432169) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: gnu Thanks!! I'll be having a go at all these suggestions on the weekend. |
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11 Mar 05 - 12:43 PM (#1432326) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: Lonesome EJ As Katlaughing knows, I'm working on a screenplay right now, my first written on laptop. I would advise doing a web-search for "Sophocles", which will give you a sample of their formatting software as well as the entire screenplay of Casablanca. I would visit the library and read as much as possible on script and screenwriting to get an idea of recommended structure, how to write the treatment (summary), organizing scenes and so forth. There is a site online that offers a formatting program called First Draft, which is meant as a free alternative to the commonly used formatting software called Final Draft. I couldn't get it to download, but maybe you'll do better. I wound up ordering software called Hollywood Screenwriter, which at $50 was 100 less than Final Draft, but is very easy to use. It doesn't offer the story creation material on the more expensive software, but I already had my story treatment done and didn't need that. I simply needed a straightforward tool to eliminate constant manual text formatting. Good luck! |
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11 Mar 05 - 01:06 PM (#1432340) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: DougR My two cents: I've written six screenplays, none of which have been produced. Writing the screenplay is not the most difficult part, provided you have a good idea for one. The real challenge is getting someone who can produce it to read it. However, having said that, far be it for me to discourage anyone from doing it. The screenwriting software I recommend is Movie Magic Screenwriter, the official screenwriting software of The Writer's Guild, East. It also contains the formats for writing: Teleplays, Stage Plays, Sitcoms, Novels, Multimedia, Comics, and more. It's avaialable on the Web for about $200 (perhaps a little less). I just bought an upgrade for $90 recently, but you have to own a license in order to purchase an upgrade. I found some books very helpful. Among them: "Story Sense", by Paul Lucey, "Writing the Script," by Wells Root, Lew Hunter's "Screenwriting 434", "The Whole Picture", and "Screenwriting", both by Richard Walter. Good luck, gnu. DougR |
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11 Mar 05 - 01:21 PM (#1432354) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: Lonesome EJ How is it going, Doug? I'd like to see one of your scripts sometime! Hollywood Screenwriter is the bare-bones version of Movie Magic Screenwriter, both by Write Bros.I don't know all the differences, but the finished product coming off Hollywood looks fine. |
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11 Mar 05 - 02:33 PM (#1432427) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: DougR I had the first bare bones edtion, EJ, called ScriptThing, but the latest edition of Movie Magic has all the bells and whistles. There is a website that allows screenwriters to post their scripts ostensibly for prospective producers to read, and possibly option. I had thought about posting the last one I wrote, but need to look up the website. I forgot what it is and will need to do some research. The log-line for the screenplay, titled, "Eddy's Place," is about the owner of a small cafe in Jerome, Aizona, who was a cook in the U. S. Army during WWII. A USO group led by Eddy Arnold (actually it was a Camel Caravan but they did the same thing)came to the post where Amos (the cook) was stationed to entertain the troops. Amos prepared the Thanksgiving meal for the troop and Eddy complimented him after the meal and invited him to look him up should he ever get to Nashville after the war. Fifty plus years later, Amos decideds to take him up on the offer. If I post it, I'll send you a PM, EJ. DougR |
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11 Mar 05 - 02:43 PM (#1432439) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: gnu Ya know. Every time I ask a question here, no matter what it is, I always feel lucky that I found the Mudcat Cafe. So much knowledge and talent and generosity that it's heartening. Thanks again. |
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11 Mar 05 - 02:46 PM (#1432445) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: DougR Don't get too worked up over it, gnu, until you sell your first screenplay. Then you can invite all of us to the premier. :>) DougR |
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11 Mar 05 - 02:50 PM (#1432454) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: DougR There is another excellent book on screenwriting that I failed to include in my previous post. "Story" by Robert McKee. Quite a few universities and colleges are including courses in screenwriting too, gnu. You might check out those near you. DougR |
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11 Mar 05 - 03:07 PM (#1432472) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: gnu I said it was heartening. I'm not gone Nancy. |
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11 Mar 05 - 03:22 PM (#1432487) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: M.Ted I use the Lew Hunter book, now mostly when someone brings me a screenplay that no one else will read, and I find it necessary to be honest rather than polite. The problem is not in getting someone important to read your script, it is in getting your script good enough for someone important to bother reading it-- |
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11 Mar 05 - 04:09 PM (#1432528) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: GUEST At the risk of being a wet blanket on your creative urges, here's the plain truth. Just in the US alone more than 30,000 screenplays are written and registered in a year. A handful get produced. Most are written by pros already in the industry, the rest by a combination of folks who know people who know people who can get a 'greenlight', and some very aggressive ordinary people who devote themselves to the intensive promotion work needed to getting their work produced. I have heard actual numbers quoted that new (GOOD) writers are on average getting a production of their EIGHTH script. This is not 8th draft, this is a polished 3rd or 4th or 12th draft of their eighth screenplay. This represents several years of work for most mortals. Unless you are employed as poolboy to a star and have unusual access to people who can make things happen, you will lose many years of your life to perfecting your craft and then to pushy selling of your work product. If by some chance you do break in, you will then compete in a vicious industry to keep getting productions, and pushing against having your work being torn to bits by producers and rewriters before it gets to the theaters. If that's really how you want to spend your time, good luck to you. I think a lifetime is better spent with friends and music, myself. |
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11 Mar 05 - 04:37 PM (#1432550) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: gnu See what I mean? Generosity or what? Thanks GUEST for your time and effort in posting your two cents. I appreciate it. |
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11 Mar 05 - 05:35 PM (#1432611) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: DougR And I find myself somewhat in agreement with GUEST. It is very, very difficult to break into that business. I had good contacts at one time but they have long since passed. I agree, too, with M.Ted. However, no one in their right mind would send a query to a producer unless he or she thought the script was in the best shape possible. You only get one shot. DougR |
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11 Mar 05 - 10:20 PM (#1432775) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: katlaughing Can't wait to read it, too, LeeJ! DougR and gnu that goes for both of you, too! kat |
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12 Mar 05 - 12:38 AM (#1432819) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: M.Ted I really didn't want to say what GUEST said, which is, in a direct and real way, the truth. The thing is though, that there are even more people our there learning to play guitars, writing songs, with about the same odds at becoming performers-- I just saw a great film called "The Target Shoots First"--a documentary made by a kid just out of college who decided to take his videocam with him when he got his first job--if he could do it, why not you? So check this site--GUIDEBOOK FOR GUERILLA FILM MAKERS and think about creating your own truth-- |
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12 Mar 05 - 02:28 PM (#1433170) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: DougR MTed: you beat me to the draw. Being a successful performer is no easy journey either. DougR |
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12 Mar 05 - 05:23 PM (#1433274) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: M.Ted You never fail to surprise me, DougR--and that is a compliment-- |
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13 Mar 05 - 01:15 PM (#1433716) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: CarolC Movie Magic Screenwriter is the one my son recommends as well. I still don't have the names of the books JtS uses, but when I do, I'll post them. If you enjoy writing, and if screenplays are the kind of writing you want to be doing, don't let the odds keep you from doing it and enjoying it. If you're lucky (and good), something may come of it. But even if that doesn't happen, you'll still have something you can be proud of having created, and you will have had the satisfaction that comes with creating something you like and that you enjoyed creating. Plus, if what you write has Canadian content, you might be able to get some help from the government in getting it produced. ;-) |
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13 Mar 05 - 03:07 PM (#1433773) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: DougR Carol C: I just hate it when I agree with you! :>) DougR |
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23 Apr 05 - 12:39 PM (#1468840) Subject: RE: Screenplay help From: CarolC Took a while, but I didn't forget. JtS likes "Power Screenwriting" (The 12 Stages of Story Development), by Michael Chase Walker the best. His second favorite is "Creating Unforgettable Characters", by Linda Seger. He has used "How to Write a Movie in 21 Days", by Viki King, but he says it's really only useful if you're stuck and you need a bit of a push. |