If the idea for a screenplay has been eating away at you for a while, but you lack the money to buy an expensive software program for your computer -- do not despair. Nothing more is needed than a simple word processing program (or you can use a more complex one if you have it).
First, your screenplay has to be formatted correctly and setting that up to start with is easy. Don't forget to save the project every time you work on it, and store it where you can find it again on your computer! While all screenplays must be in Courier or Courier New 12 point type, you can always set your computer screen to "view" in a zoom mode, especially if you use reading glasses, like I do. This will not affect your type size -- just how you see it on the screen. Writing screenplays has always been done in that typeface because then producers and others looking at your screenplay, and hopefully buying it for their next great blockbuster, know that the one minute per page rule applies. Margins for screenplays are one inch all around, except for the left margin, which should be one and a half inches. This is to allow for the three holes on the left sides and brass fasteners (top and bottom only) if you need to print and send out copies. That way the text is not trapped within that left margin.
Using macros for both character names and dialog boxes is a real time saver -- if your word processing software has it. If too complicated or you don't have it, use tabs. Most tab stops are already preset for five spaces. If not, program yours for that (look under help in the menu on how to do it). Usually, character names are about 4-5 tab stops in (centered on the page), and dialog boxes start about three tabs stops in. Dialog must be even on the left margin and should be (within reason) not aligned on the right. Dialog should take up the center third of the width of usable space on your page. On the subject of dialog -- keep your parentheticals brief and to the minimum. Parentheticals are the directions placed under a character's name such as (smiling). Too many of those and reading the screenplay becomes annoying. Most emotions (or emoting) are left to the actors and the director.
Directions for the people in your story are best kept brief also. Two or three sentences in a paragraph are all that is needed. Most of the action is, again, put into the film by the actors and director. Never describe a hidden emotion. The only thing that should be written down in a screenplay is dialog, and necessary action that is seen or hear d on the screen. What good would be: He was cringing inside because someone laughed at him? That could best be described as: He stopped in his tracks and began to sweat, then straightened up. Always show rather than tell in a screenplay. This takes more work but is much better writing for this medium. And while we are on this subject, a pet peeve of mine when reading screenplays (and it made me cringe) is "we see so and so go over to the well". Be lean in your description -- say "so and so went over to the well".
One last note on spacing and capitalization, when you are writing your screenplay: There is one line space between the end of dialog and action text and one line space between each block of action text, plus a line space between scene headings and the start of either dialog or action text. The only time that two line spaces are used is after the last text and before the next scene heading. So, with tabs and macros if you have the capability, you can turn out a perfectly formatted screenplay without expensive screenplay writing software.
Susan Hart is a world traveled former literary agent. If you need help with your writing project visit her site for more information.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Screenwriting - 5 Ways to Bring Your Script to Life Without Selling it to a Producer by Melody Jackson
One of the challenges of being a screenwriter is that fulfilling your goal is an all-or-nothing proposition. An actor can get small parts and work and see themselves on TV and in a movie, even if they never become a star. But as a screenwriter, your script either gets produced or it doesn't. You won't see a couple of scenes from your script in the movie theater - your only chance there is the whole thing or nothing.
With that said, here's the good news You have options. Even though there's no guarantee that you will make any money from doing these things, you actually CAN experience the creative satisfaction of seeing your work come to life. Having this experience will not only make you proud of yourself and inspire you, but will also help you develop your craft. Here are five ways to have your screenplay come to life without a producer buying it.
These will work for you whether you are in Los Angeles or you're in The Midwest or anywhere, you may just need to adapt the ideas a bit. And if you have already had some of your work produced in the past, you might adapt these ideas to help you shoot a trailer presentation of your movie to show to potential producers or investors.
Here are five ways to have your screenplay come to life without a producer buying it.
1. Take a film and video production course at a local film school or community college and shoot your own scenes.
As a screenwriter, you will benefit from understanding as much as possible about film production. Take a class to learn about production and to get yourself inspired about your writing. For your production project, use the scenes you've written.
2. Hold a table reading at your home, a small theatre, or at a community location, even invite an audience.
A "reading" is an event in which you actually cast actors to read your screenplay aloud so you can hear it come to life. You should also record it so you can review it later.
Holding a reading will help you see what works and what doesn't work as well as be very exciting to hear it acted out. You might also invite an audience so you can see what parts they have a noticeable reaction to or fall asleep on. If you've never done a table reading, I guarantee you will be surprised.
3. Find other area filmmakers and work together to shoot a demo/trailer of your script.
Because of the great accessibility of video equipment and editing software, more and more writers and producers are shooting presentations of their scripts. You could make a trailer to use to present your script to investors - although it must be very good production quality if you do that. It will also be very exciting to see even a few minutes of your story come to life.
No matter where you are in the U.S., it is very likely that someone near you is also interested in working in the film industry. You can start your own short film production company to start out. You can also check on Craig's List or post there that you're seeking other filmmakers to collaborate with. And sites like Meet Up try to connect you with other like-interested people.
4. Contact your state's film commission to find all the resources that you can about where other filmmakers are.
A great resource for connecting with professionals is your State Film Commission. Call to find out what resources they can offer you or tell you about. You can find out what productions are coming to your state and also potentially meet other filmmakers you could collaborate with.
5. Contact an acting school or acting class near you and see if you can provide scenes for them. Then go watch.
If you're feeling a bit lazy in the production arena and don't want to go to a lot of trouble, you could just contact a local acting school and tell them you have scenes you would like to provide for their classes. On-camera acting schools love to work with new material (of course, it should be pretty good). And if you go watch, you get a chance to hear your work come to life with next to no effort.
The main point of this article is that, along the way in your writing, you can and should enjoy some reward for your effort by seeing it come to life in some fashion. Although your long-term goal is to sell your script and see it on the screen in a cinema, don't discount the benefit of throwing yourself a little bone and seeing a few scenes come to life.
You might be surprised by how gratifying it is to see the characters you created suddenly alive in real people portraying them - even if only for a few scenes.
Melody Jackson, Ph.D., has critiqued over 2000 screenplays in depth and was rated a Top 5 Script Consultant in the country by Creative Screenwriting Magazine. Go to http://www.ScriptCritiques.com for more information on marketing to Hollywood. If you are ready to jump-start your career, increase your confidence, and have more fun pursuing Hollywood success, get "Plugged In" at http://www.QueryLetterMailings.com. Also get your FREE REPORT on "The Top 20 Literary Agents In Hollywood," along with the FREE REPORT "Endless Professional Screenwriting Work."
With that said, here's the good news You have options. Even though there's no guarantee that you will make any money from doing these things, you actually CAN experience the creative satisfaction of seeing your work come to life. Having this experience will not only make you proud of yourself and inspire you, but will also help you develop your craft. Here are five ways to have your screenplay come to life without a producer buying it.
These will work for you whether you are in Los Angeles or you're in The Midwest or anywhere, you may just need to adapt the ideas a bit. And if you have already had some of your work produced in the past, you might adapt these ideas to help you shoot a trailer presentation of your movie to show to potential producers or investors.
Here are five ways to have your screenplay come to life without a producer buying it.
1. Take a film and video production course at a local film school or community college and shoot your own scenes.
As a screenwriter, you will benefit from understanding as much as possible about film production. Take a class to learn about production and to get yourself inspired about your writing. For your production project, use the scenes you've written.
2. Hold a table reading at your home, a small theatre, or at a community location, even invite an audience.
A "reading" is an event in which you actually cast actors to read your screenplay aloud so you can hear it come to life. You should also record it so you can review it later.
Holding a reading will help you see what works and what doesn't work as well as be very exciting to hear it acted out. You might also invite an audience so you can see what parts they have a noticeable reaction to or fall asleep on. If you've never done a table reading, I guarantee you will be surprised.
3. Find other area filmmakers and work together to shoot a demo/trailer of your script.
Because of the great accessibility of video equipment and editing software, more and more writers and producers are shooting presentations of their scripts. You could make a trailer to use to present your script to investors - although it must be very good production quality if you do that. It will also be very exciting to see even a few minutes of your story come to life.
No matter where you are in the U.S., it is very likely that someone near you is also interested in working in the film industry. You can start your own short film production company to start out. You can also check on Craig's List or post there that you're seeking other filmmakers to collaborate with. And sites like Meet Up try to connect you with other like-interested people.
4. Contact your state's film commission to find all the resources that you can about where other filmmakers are.
A great resource for connecting with professionals is your State Film Commission. Call to find out what resources they can offer you or tell you about. You can find out what productions are coming to your state and also potentially meet other filmmakers you could collaborate with.
5. Contact an acting school or acting class near you and see if you can provide scenes for them. Then go watch.
If you're feeling a bit lazy in the production arena and don't want to go to a lot of trouble, you could just contact a local acting school and tell them you have scenes you would like to provide for their classes. On-camera acting schools love to work with new material (of course, it should be pretty good). And if you go watch, you get a chance to hear your work come to life with next to no effort.
The main point of this article is that, along the way in your writing, you can and should enjoy some reward for your effort by seeing it come to life in some fashion. Although your long-term goal is to sell your script and see it on the screen in a cinema, don't discount the benefit of throwing yourself a little bone and seeing a few scenes come to life.
You might be surprised by how gratifying it is to see the characters you created suddenly alive in real people portraying them - even if only for a few scenes.
Melody Jackson, Ph.D., has critiqued over 2000 screenplays in depth and was rated a Top 5 Script Consultant in the country by Creative Screenwriting Magazine. Go to http://www.ScriptCritiques.com for more information on marketing to Hollywood. If you are ready to jump-start your career, increase your confidence, and have more fun pursuing Hollywood success, get "Plugged In" at http://www.QueryLetterMailings.com. Also get your FREE REPORT on "The Top 20 Literary Agents In Hollywood," along with the FREE REPORT "Endless Professional Screenwriting Work."
Monday, August 31, 2009
A Writer's Most Dangerous Desire - And How to Combat it When You Write Your Screenplay by Jacob Krueger
It may be hard to tell from some of the stuff you see coming out of Hollywood, but believe it or not, no one sets out to be a mediocre writer.
No writer dreams of writing that crappy screenplay with the unintelligible plot. No writer fantasizes about creating paper thin characters, canned dialogue, or predictable plot points.
As writers, we share a common desire: we want to write great scripts, fascinating characters, brilliant dialogue, and breathtaking stories that catch people and won't let them go. We want to say something that matters to us, have our voices heard, and create the kind of movies we grew up loving.
All writers want to be great writers.
Unfortunately, for many writers this need to create something great is actually the biggest obstacle to their writing.
That's because, as much as we'd all like to, no can can control the quality of their writing.
Occasionally, magic does happen. You wake up one day inspired. You know the story you want to tell, and somehow it just pours out of you, almost like someone else was creating the story and all you have to do is type out the words.
But more often, that magic is elusive. You wake up inspired with a brilliant premise, but feel like you don't know how to execute it. Or you discover a character that intrigues you, but haven't the slightest clue what his or her story will be, or how you're going to find it.
When the words you're actually writing don't seem to match the dream of greatness you're holding in your mind, it's hard to see yourself as a writer.
You start to feel stuck, lost, or just plain blocked. You may even start to wonder if you really have what it takes to be a writer...
Nonsense.
The desire for greatness is the most dangerous desire for writers.
When you hold it too closely, you not only take all the joy out of writing, but also make it increasingly unlikely that you will ever achieve the greatness you're seeking.
It's not that writers shouldn't strive for great writing. It's that writing is a process, and to actually create something great, you must first give yourself the freedom to play.
Picasso said that he spent for years trying to paint like Raphael, and the rest of his life trying to paint like a child.
The same is true for writers. Creating something great often means letting go of your goals for your writing (and the judgment that goes with it), and simply allowing yourself to play like a child.
That's the goal of my new "Write! Write! Write!" Screenwriting Workshops.
Each workshop begins with a special in-class writing exercise, designed to set your judgment aside, unlock your creativity, and make writing fun again. These playful scenes then become the basis for inspiring lectures, designed to not only teach you the craft of screenwriting, but also help the build the skills you need to take your most creative scenes, and transform them into the kind of screenplay you've always dreamed of writing. Take your first step today.
More Information:
Web: http://www.jacobkrueger.com
No writer dreams of writing that crappy screenplay with the unintelligible plot. No writer fantasizes about creating paper thin characters, canned dialogue, or predictable plot points.
As writers, we share a common desire: we want to write great scripts, fascinating characters, brilliant dialogue, and breathtaking stories that catch people and won't let them go. We want to say something that matters to us, have our voices heard, and create the kind of movies we grew up loving.
All writers want to be great writers.
Unfortunately, for many writers this need to create something great is actually the biggest obstacle to their writing.
That's because, as much as we'd all like to, no can can control the quality of their writing.
Occasionally, magic does happen. You wake up one day inspired. You know the story you want to tell, and somehow it just pours out of you, almost like someone else was creating the story and all you have to do is type out the words.
But more often, that magic is elusive. You wake up inspired with a brilliant premise, but feel like you don't know how to execute it. Or you discover a character that intrigues you, but haven't the slightest clue what his or her story will be, or how you're going to find it.
When the words you're actually writing don't seem to match the dream of greatness you're holding in your mind, it's hard to see yourself as a writer.
You start to feel stuck, lost, or just plain blocked. You may even start to wonder if you really have what it takes to be a writer...
Nonsense.
The desire for greatness is the most dangerous desire for writers.
When you hold it too closely, you not only take all the joy out of writing, but also make it increasingly unlikely that you will ever achieve the greatness you're seeking.
It's not that writers shouldn't strive for great writing. It's that writing is a process, and to actually create something great, you must first give yourself the freedom to play.
Picasso said that he spent for years trying to paint like Raphael, and the rest of his life trying to paint like a child.
The same is true for writers. Creating something great often means letting go of your goals for your writing (and the judgment that goes with it), and simply allowing yourself to play like a child.
That's the goal of my new "Write! Write! Write!" Screenwriting Workshops.
Each workshop begins with a special in-class writing exercise, designed to set your judgment aside, unlock your creativity, and make writing fun again. These playful scenes then become the basis for inspiring lectures, designed to not only teach you the craft of screenwriting, but also help the build the skills you need to take your most creative scenes, and transform them into the kind of screenplay you've always dreamed of writing. Take your first step today.
More Information:
Web: http://www.jacobkrueger.com
Friday, August 28, 2009
Literary Agents Vs Managers - 5 Tips For Deciding Which to Go With First by Melody Jackson
For most screenwriters, it can seem like the whole process of trying to sell your script is one big "Catch 22": You can't get certain producers to read your script without an agent or manager, but agents and managers don't want to represent you until you've made a sale. The first question for you as a writer is to determine whether you should try for a literary agent or a manager. Here are 5 tips to help you decide which to go with first.
1. What is the difference between an agent and a manager?
An agent is basically what the word itself describes: a person who is going to represent you as a writer and your work. An agent is your salesperson in the marketplace. When the agent feels your script is ready to "go out," they find the producers or studios who will be the best potential buyers. The agent then manages the whole process of (hopefully) selling your screenplay to them.
Managers, on the other hand, work more closely with the writer on developing their scripts and career. You may strategize closely with your manager on what story to write next, and then get feedback on your drafts. Also, managers will often arrange meetings with producers and other industry executives, either for specific writing assignments or just a general meeting to let the execs get to know you.
2. How much of my earnings do each of them take?
When you are represented, the agent or manager are compensated with commissions from your earnings. Traditionally, agents have earned 10% from the deals they make for their clients; managers' commissions range from 10% to 20%.
One thing to remember about managers is that they can also act as a producer for their client's scripts (by law, in California, agents cannot produce). So if your manager is producing your screenplay and it also sells, the manager should receive a sales commission on top of their producing fee. This is called "double dipping" and legitimate managers don't do it.
3. Should I choose one over the other?
If you are a screenwriter who is just starting out, the choice between an agent and a manager may be made for you. Representation by an agent is generally harder to get than finding a manager willing to take you on as a client.
Agents tend to want to represent writers with the potential for a long career. They prefer clients who can steadily bring in commissions over a period of time, rather than trying to chase one payday for a single script sale. Also, there are a lot more managers than agents in Hollywood and they are usually more open to developing newer writers. If only by default, for aspiring screenwriters, a manager is usually the better first step.
4. What factors should I consider when searching for representation?
The biggest red flag most writers should watch for is an agent or manager who charges upfront fees for representation or reading your script. Legitimate agents and managers do not take money from a writer in exchange for representation.
Once in a while, you'll run across some who charge $35 or $45 for a reading fee to cover their costs, but they are not real players in Hollywood. (Personally, I think it should be okay to charge a minimal fee for them to read your script, but the fact is that the big players don't do it.)
Another consideration is where the agency or company is located. Nearly all films and deals are made in Los Angeles or New York, so most agents and managers are located there as well.
That is not to say that an agent from Chicago or a manager from Atlanta can't do anything for your career, because they might have a few contacts who could be just right for your script. If you are relatively new to the industry, they could also be a good company to begin to work with to get yourself "in the game" and learn how to work with representation.
For the most part, however, your major agencies and management companies are unlikely to be located outside of Los Angeles or New York.
5. How do I go about finding an agent or manager?
You can try and land an agent or manager in a few different ways. If you have industry contacts, then it might be appropriate to ask your contacts for a referral to an agent or manager.
Alternatively, you can send a query letter to agents and/or managers, introducing yourself and offering them your script to consider for representation. The advantage of a query letter mailing is that you don't need to have industry contacts in Hollywood to send it out. If you have a great script, a strong query letter could be enough to get you noticed.
In either case, however, just make sure the script you send out is the best you can make it. They will only read it once, and if your screenplay is not your best, not only will they turn it down, but they probably won't look at any of your other scripts in the future.
Summary
Despite the differences between a literary agent and manager, when it comes down to it, the real issue is simply finding someone who can help move your career forward. Strategies and business styles vary. They each have their own taste and their own set of contacts. Any number of them could work. Most of the time you won't know what works until you work with them.
They could have made the careers of 10 major screenwriters before you, but if they aren't getting the job done for you, then it doesn't matter. What it comes down to is this: Get in the game as soon as your script is ready, and it's trial and error and learn by doing, from there.
Melody Jackson, Ph.D., is the founder of Smart Girls Productions, a Hollywood Marketing Company supporting Actors & Screenwriters in moving their careers forward. If you are ready to jump-start your career, increase your confidence, and have more fun pursuing Hollywood success, get "Plugged In" at href="http://www.querylettermailings.com/">http://www.QueryLetterMailings.com Also get your FREE REPORT on "The Top 20 Literary Agents In Hollywood," along with Hot Tips on Marketing YourselfTo Hollywood. Melody has critiqued thousands of screenplays in depth and was rated a Top 5 Script Consultant in the country by Creative Screenwriting Magazine. Go to href="http://www.scriptcritiques.com/">http://www.ScriptCritiques.com for more information on marketing to Hollywood.
1. What is the difference between an agent and a manager?
An agent is basically what the word itself describes: a person who is going to represent you as a writer and your work. An agent is your salesperson in the marketplace. When the agent feels your script is ready to "go out," they find the producers or studios who will be the best potential buyers. The agent then manages the whole process of (hopefully) selling your screenplay to them.
Managers, on the other hand, work more closely with the writer on developing their scripts and career. You may strategize closely with your manager on what story to write next, and then get feedback on your drafts. Also, managers will often arrange meetings with producers and other industry executives, either for specific writing assignments or just a general meeting to let the execs get to know you.
2. How much of my earnings do each of them take?
When you are represented, the agent or manager are compensated with commissions from your earnings. Traditionally, agents have earned 10% from the deals they make for their clients; managers' commissions range from 10% to 20%.
One thing to remember about managers is that they can also act as a producer for their client's scripts (by law, in California, agents cannot produce). So if your manager is producing your screenplay and it also sells, the manager should receive a sales commission on top of their producing fee. This is called "double dipping" and legitimate managers don't do it.
3. Should I choose one over the other?
If you are a screenwriter who is just starting out, the choice between an agent and a manager may be made for you. Representation by an agent is generally harder to get than finding a manager willing to take you on as a client.
Agents tend to want to represent writers with the potential for a long career. They prefer clients who can steadily bring in commissions over a period of time, rather than trying to chase one payday for a single script sale. Also, there are a lot more managers than agents in Hollywood and they are usually more open to developing newer writers. If only by default, for aspiring screenwriters, a manager is usually the better first step.
4. What factors should I consider when searching for representation?
The biggest red flag most writers should watch for is an agent or manager who charges upfront fees for representation or reading your script. Legitimate agents and managers do not take money from a writer in exchange for representation.
Once in a while, you'll run across some who charge $35 or $45 for a reading fee to cover their costs, but they are not real players in Hollywood. (Personally, I think it should be okay to charge a minimal fee for them to read your script, but the fact is that the big players don't do it.)
Another consideration is where the agency or company is located. Nearly all films and deals are made in Los Angeles or New York, so most agents and managers are located there as well.
That is not to say that an agent from Chicago or a manager from Atlanta can't do anything for your career, because they might have a few contacts who could be just right for your script. If you are relatively new to the industry, they could also be a good company to begin to work with to get yourself "in the game" and learn how to work with representation.
For the most part, however, your major agencies and management companies are unlikely to be located outside of Los Angeles or New York.
5. How do I go about finding an agent or manager?
You can try and land an agent or manager in a few different ways. If you have industry contacts, then it might be appropriate to ask your contacts for a referral to an agent or manager.
Alternatively, you can send a query letter to agents and/or managers, introducing yourself and offering them your script to consider for representation. The advantage of a query letter mailing is that you don't need to have industry contacts in Hollywood to send it out. If you have a great script, a strong query letter could be enough to get you noticed.
In either case, however, just make sure the script you send out is the best you can make it. They will only read it once, and if your screenplay is not your best, not only will they turn it down, but they probably won't look at any of your other scripts in the future.
Summary
Despite the differences between a literary agent and manager, when it comes down to it, the real issue is simply finding someone who can help move your career forward. Strategies and business styles vary. They each have their own taste and their own set of contacts. Any number of them could work. Most of the time you won't know what works until you work with them.
They could have made the careers of 10 major screenwriters before you, but if they aren't getting the job done for you, then it doesn't matter. What it comes down to is this: Get in the game as soon as your script is ready, and it's trial and error and learn by doing, from there.
Melody Jackson, Ph.D., is the founder of Smart Girls Productions, a Hollywood Marketing Company supporting Actors & Screenwriters in moving their careers forward. If you are ready to jump-start your career, increase your confidence, and have more fun pursuing Hollywood success, get "Plugged In" at href="http://www.querylettermailings.com/">http://www.QueryLetterMailings.com Also get your FREE REPORT on "The Top 20 Literary Agents In Hollywood," along with Hot Tips on Marketing YourselfTo Hollywood. Melody has critiqued thousands of screenplays in depth and was rated a Top 5 Script Consultant in the country by Creative Screenwriting Magazine. Go to href="http://www.scriptcritiques.com/">http://www.ScriptCritiques.com for more information on marketing to Hollywood.
Monday, August 24, 2009
How to Write a Treatment For a Hollywood Screenplay by Melody Jackson
When you are preparing to write a screenplay or even preparing to do a major rewrite, it is very helpful to create a blueprint or treatment of what you are going to write prior to actually writing or rewriting it. This is what a treatment is used for. It will help you layout the direction of the entire screenplay and work out some of the kinks before jumping into the whole thing.
A treatment can be anywhere from 3 to 10 pages. Think of it as being an in-depth synopsis of your story. As you can imagine, it is much easier to edit and make changes to a story that is under 10 pages than it is to make changes on a 100+ page script.
If you work out all the story issues, character arc, and theme aspects in the treatment, it will save you an enormous amount of work when you write the screenplay itself.
A treatment for a screenplay is simply a narrative of all the major actions and characters from start to finish. It has no dialogue whatsoever. (Okay, you can put one or two great lines of dialogue in if you must, but only to show the flavor of the character.) But don't spend much time on the dialogue in the treatment as you might end up throwing out any given scene before you finalize the treatment, and then you will have wasted time on the dialogue.
Your treatment should be compelling, just as the screenplay will be. When you read it, you should connect with the story emotionally. If it doesn't affect you emotionally, then you should keep working on capturing the emotion in the treatment before you go on to writing the screenplay. If you can't capture it in the treatment, you definitely won't capture it in the screenplay itself, because it already shows that something is missing.
Once you have the whole story fleshed out with the plot, character arc, and theme all working together, and emotionally you are moved deeply when you read it, then you are ready to write your screenplay. The only caveat about that is that I recommend that you have a professional review the treatment before you go on and write it, simply because they may respond to it differently.
But for sure, you should work your story out in the treatment first. Oftentimes, when I critique a script and it needs a fair amount of work, I will recommend the writer go back to the treatment stage and rework it before rewriting the script itself. This have proven to be very beneficial.
The treatment is more of a mini-rendering of the story and must paint the mood of it.
If you likened the treatment to building a house, you could think of it as being like a full-color sketch of the interior of the house. It would be a sketch of the colors of the living room and the curtains, the couches and pillows. It would have all the mood that the final one would have, but it would nevertheless be only a sketch of it. You could also think of the treatment as a miniature or scale model of the screenplay.
As mentioned previously, a treatment can be 3-10 pages long. Single-spaced within the paragraphs with a double space between paragraphs. Use a 12-point font that is easy to read (Arial, Courier, Times New Roman).
Melody Jackson, Ph.D., is the founder of Smart Girls Productions, a Hollywood Marketing Company supporting Actors & Screenwriters in moving their careers forward. If you are ready to jump-start your career, increase your confidence, and have more fun pursuing Hollywood success, get "Plugged In" at http://www.QueryLetterMailings.com Also get your FREE REPORT on "The Top 20 Literary Agents In Hollywood," along with Hot Tips on Marketing Yourself To Hollywood. Melody has critiqued thousands of screenplays in depth and was rated a Top 5 Script Consultant in the country by Creative Screenwriting Magazine. Go to http://www.ScriptCritiques.com for more information on marketing to Hollywood.
A treatment can be anywhere from 3 to 10 pages. Think of it as being an in-depth synopsis of your story. As you can imagine, it is much easier to edit and make changes to a story that is under 10 pages than it is to make changes on a 100+ page script.
If you work out all the story issues, character arc, and theme aspects in the treatment, it will save you an enormous amount of work when you write the screenplay itself.
A treatment for a screenplay is simply a narrative of all the major actions and characters from start to finish. It has no dialogue whatsoever. (Okay, you can put one or two great lines of dialogue in if you must, but only to show the flavor of the character.) But don't spend much time on the dialogue in the treatment as you might end up throwing out any given scene before you finalize the treatment, and then you will have wasted time on the dialogue.
Your treatment should be compelling, just as the screenplay will be. When you read it, you should connect with the story emotionally. If it doesn't affect you emotionally, then you should keep working on capturing the emotion in the treatment before you go on to writing the screenplay. If you can't capture it in the treatment, you definitely won't capture it in the screenplay itself, because it already shows that something is missing.
Once you have the whole story fleshed out with the plot, character arc, and theme all working together, and emotionally you are moved deeply when you read it, then you are ready to write your screenplay. The only caveat about that is that I recommend that you have a professional review the treatment before you go on and write it, simply because they may respond to it differently.
But for sure, you should work your story out in the treatment first. Oftentimes, when I critique a script and it needs a fair amount of work, I will recommend the writer go back to the treatment stage and rework it before rewriting the script itself. This have proven to be very beneficial.
The treatment is more of a mini-rendering of the story and must paint the mood of it.
If you likened the treatment to building a house, you could think of it as being like a full-color sketch of the interior of the house. It would be a sketch of the colors of the living room and the curtains, the couches and pillows. It would have all the mood that the final one would have, but it would nevertheless be only a sketch of it. You could also think of the treatment as a miniature or scale model of the screenplay.
As mentioned previously, a treatment can be 3-10 pages long. Single-spaced within the paragraphs with a double space between paragraphs. Use a 12-point font that is easy to read (Arial, Courier, Times New Roman).
Melody Jackson, Ph.D., is the founder of Smart Girls Productions, a Hollywood Marketing Company supporting Actors & Screenwriters in moving their careers forward. If you are ready to jump-start your career, increase your confidence, and have more fun pursuing Hollywood success, get "Plugged In" at http://www.QueryLetterMailings.com Also get your FREE REPORT on "The Top 20 Literary Agents In Hollywood," along with Hot Tips on Marketing Yourself To Hollywood. Melody has critiqued thousands of screenplays in depth and was rated a Top 5 Script Consultant in the country by Creative Screenwriting Magazine. Go to http://www.ScriptCritiques.com for more information on marketing to Hollywood.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Hollywood Contacts - 5 Steps For Screenwriters to Make Connections and Keep Them by Melody Jackson
By now someone has probably told you, "You gotta know someone to have a career in Hollywood." And that is actually true. Getting Hollywood contacts on your Rolodex is critical to any and every career in Hollywood.
The thing they probably didn't tell you, though, is that you don't have to have the contacts when you start out. So, the real question is, "How do you make contacts and nurture them over the course of time?" This article contains 5 steps for screenwriters to make Hollywood contacts from an empty Rolodex and keep them once you get them.
1. Go to pitch-fests and film festivals.
One of the quickest ways to gather several contacts at once is to go where a lot of them are. There are many, many film festivals of all different sizes all over the U.S. as well as all over the world. You can go to one that is convenient for you and make it a point to meet people whom you could establish a long-term professional relationship with.
Create a goal of meeting at least 1 or 2 people a day that you will keep in touch with after the festivals. Afterward, put a good follow-up system in place and let them know when you have a new script or that you got a new agent or that you have a new pitch you want to offer them.
2. Do research and create a targeted list of contacts for your script. Then work that list by sending them a query letter. Then call them and begin developing a relationship.
The Hollywood Creative Directory is one of the best resources to find your list of targeted producers. It lists almost all the major companies, individuals, addresses, contacts, and projects in Hollywood. You can go through this book and pick out that ones that sound like good matches. Then you get on the phone and start calling.
You can also cross-reference your list with something like IMDB.com or IMDBpro to further narrow down who is most suitable for your project.
It takes a great deal of time to do this, but you can do it if you have the time. If you don't want to do it yourself, you can hire a company like Smart Girls Productions to do this selection process for you. Then you can use that list to follow up on.
3. Go through your own Rolodex and think back on everyone you've ever known and see if there is someone you might want to re-connect with. Or maybe someone on that list might be able to connect you to some of their contacts and they could help you.
Whether you are brand new or you've been skipping down the trail in Hollywood for decades, you probably have more connections that you think.
Take the time to brainstorm every single person that you have met personally and think about who they might know that they could hook you up with.
If it is someone you've lost touch with, before you call, you can create a way to connect with them to see what's happening and try to see how they might put you in touch with who they know.
4. Enter screenwriting contests to get feedback and to also get recommended to execs if you win.
Try to find screenwriting contests that have a good reputation and guarantee that they will pass you on to real Hollywood execs if you win.
The execs don't have to be Speilberg and Lucas or Bruckheimer either, as long as they are really working as a producer in Hollywood. Even if they are not big-time yet, if they read your script now and like your work, you'll already have access to them by the time they get "big."
5. Once you make a contact in Hollywood, keep them on your Rolodex, and find reasons to keep in touch with them for as long as you are pursuing a screenwriting career.
The first four steps were on making contacts. This one is on keeping them. One of the best ways to make contacts, as touched on before, is to get to know them before they are big-time.
Even if you meet someone only for 15 or 20 seconds, if you get really good at nurturing a connection, you can use that brief contact as a way to develop it into something much bigger.
Finally, treat everyone with respect in this biz, as long as they do you. Never look down on anyone in their position, as they could end up being the person who opens the door (or closes it) for you at some point in the future.
Melody Jackson, ph.D., is the founder of smart girls productions, a hollywood marketing company supporting actors & screenwriters in moving their careers forward. If you are ready to jump-start your career, increase your confidence, and have more fun pursuing Hollywood success, get "plugged in" at http://www.Querylettermailings.Com also get your free report on "the top 20 literary agents in Hollywood," along with hot tips on marketing yourself to hollywood.
Melody has critiqued thousands of screenplays in depth and was rated a top 5 script consultant in the country by creative screenwriting magazine. Go to http://www.Scriptcritiques.Com for more
The thing they probably didn't tell you, though, is that you don't have to have the contacts when you start out. So, the real question is, "How do you make contacts and nurture them over the course of time?" This article contains 5 steps for screenwriters to make Hollywood contacts from an empty Rolodex and keep them once you get them.
1. Go to pitch-fests and film festivals.
One of the quickest ways to gather several contacts at once is to go where a lot of them are. There are many, many film festivals of all different sizes all over the U.S. as well as all over the world. You can go to one that is convenient for you and make it a point to meet people whom you could establish a long-term professional relationship with.
Create a goal of meeting at least 1 or 2 people a day that you will keep in touch with after the festivals. Afterward, put a good follow-up system in place and let them know when you have a new script or that you got a new agent or that you have a new pitch you want to offer them.
2. Do research and create a targeted list of contacts for your script. Then work that list by sending them a query letter. Then call them and begin developing a relationship.
The Hollywood Creative Directory is one of the best resources to find your list of targeted producers. It lists almost all the major companies, individuals, addresses, contacts, and projects in Hollywood. You can go through this book and pick out that ones that sound like good matches. Then you get on the phone and start calling.
You can also cross-reference your list with something like IMDB.com or IMDBpro to further narrow down who is most suitable for your project.
It takes a great deal of time to do this, but you can do it if you have the time. If you don't want to do it yourself, you can hire a company like Smart Girls Productions to do this selection process for you. Then you can use that list to follow up on.
3. Go through your own Rolodex and think back on everyone you've ever known and see if there is someone you might want to re-connect with. Or maybe someone on that list might be able to connect you to some of their contacts and they could help you.
Whether you are brand new or you've been skipping down the trail in Hollywood for decades, you probably have more connections that you think.
Take the time to brainstorm every single person that you have met personally and think about who they might know that they could hook you up with.
If it is someone you've lost touch with, before you call, you can create a way to connect with them to see what's happening and try to see how they might put you in touch with who they know.
4. Enter screenwriting contests to get feedback and to also get recommended to execs if you win.
Try to find screenwriting contests that have a good reputation and guarantee that they will pass you on to real Hollywood execs if you win.
The execs don't have to be Speilberg and Lucas or Bruckheimer either, as long as they are really working as a producer in Hollywood. Even if they are not big-time yet, if they read your script now and like your work, you'll already have access to them by the time they get "big."
5. Once you make a contact in Hollywood, keep them on your Rolodex, and find reasons to keep in touch with them for as long as you are pursuing a screenwriting career.
The first four steps were on making contacts. This one is on keeping them. One of the best ways to make contacts, as touched on before, is to get to know them before they are big-time.
Even if you meet someone only for 15 or 20 seconds, if you get really good at nurturing a connection, you can use that brief contact as a way to develop it into something much bigger.
Finally, treat everyone with respect in this biz, as long as they do you. Never look down on anyone in their position, as they could end up being the person who opens the door (or closes it) for you at some point in the future.
Melody Jackson, ph.D., is the founder of smart girls productions, a hollywood marketing company supporting actors & screenwriters in moving their careers forward. If you are ready to jump-start your career, increase your confidence, and have more fun pursuing Hollywood success, get "plugged in" at http://www.Querylettermailings.Com also get your free report on "the top 20 literary agents in Hollywood," along with hot tips on marketing yourself to hollywood.
Melody has critiqued thousands of screenplays in depth and was rated a top 5 script consultant in the country by creative screenwriting magazine. Go to http://www.Scriptcritiques.Com for more
Trancas International Films Signs SCRIPTXPERT Client Jeff York
SCRIPTXPERT client Jeff York is now signed with Trancas International Films who will not only manage his writing career, but has also hired him to adapt one of their projects. Trancas found York through the Final Draft, Inc. SCRIPTXPERT coverage service which had recommended York's vampire-romance-with-a-twist script Incurable.
"The experience of using SCRIPTXPERT has been phenomenal," states York. "It's a great way to not only improve your writing, but also have a shot at getting your story in the hands of someone who can do something to help launch your career."
Unexpectedly, York's search for script advice lead to great things. He was impressed by the assigned SCRIPTXPERT reader's horror script knowledge that prevailed in his first critique.
The reader's critical and positive notes helped York revise his screenplay, Incurable, a love affair between a man with cancer and a female vampire. Then, after two exchanges of notes and drafts with the same reader, Incurable was finally recommended.
One advantage of SCRIPTXPERT is if a reader "recommends" a writer's screenplay it reaches the top level. Final Draft, Inc. then passes the client's information - with the writer's permission- to interested agents and producers.
Fortunately, York's Incurable got into Sammy Montana's hands, VP of Trancas International Films, who is always looking for the next "Halloween" box-office smash. "I read it and was blown away," states Montana.
Montana enjoyed York's work and signed him, allowing York to finally pursue his passion. York plans to become a full-time screenwriter in L.A. thanks to submitting his script to Final Draft, Inc.
"The experience of using SCRIPTXPERT has been phenomenal," states York. "It's a great way to not only improve your writing, but also have a shot at getting your story in the hands of someone who can do something to help launch your career."
Unexpectedly, York's search for script advice lead to great things. He was impressed by the assigned SCRIPTXPERT reader's horror script knowledge that prevailed in his first critique.
The reader's critical and positive notes helped York revise his screenplay, Incurable, a love affair between a man with cancer and a female vampire. Then, after two exchanges of notes and drafts with the same reader, Incurable was finally recommended.
One advantage of SCRIPTXPERT is if a reader "recommends" a writer's screenplay it reaches the top level. Final Draft, Inc. then passes the client's information - with the writer's permission- to interested agents and producers.
Fortunately, York's Incurable got into Sammy Montana's hands, VP of Trancas International Films, who is always looking for the next "Halloween" box-office smash. "I read it and was blown away," states Montana.
Montana enjoyed York's work and signed him, allowing York to finally pursue his passion. York plans to become a full-time screenwriter in L.A. thanks to submitting his script to Final Draft, Inc.
Friday, August 7, 2009
A Call for Submissions From TV and Feature Writers
Starting its sixteen year, THE GUY HANKS & MARVIN MILLER SCREENWRITING PROGRAM aka The Cosby Program, will be accepting applications from July 15 to September 15, 2010. This program was established by Drs. Bill and Camille Cosby at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Unaffiliated with USC, the goal of the Hanks-Miller Program is to develop the pool of qualified African-American writers in the entertainment industry.
This program meets twice a week for 15-weeks beginning February 2010. It is designed to assist writers in completing a television or feature script, while giving them the opportunity to examine African-American history, culture and iconography. Tuition is free to those selected.
For more information or to obtain an application visit our website at http://www.CosbyProgram.com
This program meets twice a week for 15-weeks beginning February 2010. It is designed to assist writers in completing a television or feature script, while giving them the opportunity to examine African-American history, culture and iconography. Tuition is free to those selected.
For more information or to obtain an application visit our website at http://www.CosbyProgram.com
Monday, August 3, 2009
Screenwriting - 12 Rules to Get Your Screenplay Rejected Right Away by Ugur Akinci
There is an art to getting your screenplays rejected right away. Do the following if you'd like to see your months and perhaps years worth of efforts go to the trash bin within 15 seconds or less.
1) Write a "feature-length" screenplay that is 30 pages long.
2) Write a "feature-length" screenplay that is 300 pages long.
3) Use a great day-glo orange cover to get noticed.
4) Paste photos generously to illustrate your scenes. Your smiling photo with your favorite pet next to you and typing away on your laptop would really enhance the aesthetic value of the front cover.
5) Provide frequent detailed camera and directorial instruction like “WIDE-ANGLE SHOT, the actors should imagine they are at a FUNERAL,” etc.
6) Use crazy font on the cover and inside the script in order to grab the attention of the studio Reader. Never use Courier.
7) Include sidebar notes for the Reader like "Dear Reader, please pay attention to the the plot reversal in this scene!"
8) Use character names that all start with the same letter and are very similar to one another like Jane, Joe, Jim, Jake, Jimmy, June, Jess, Jessie, Jesse, Jo, Jon, and Jil.
9) Make sure nothing is happening within the first 5 pages. For example, you can describe the gorgeous scenery as your protagonist takes a train ride from New York to Boston.
10) Do not use the universally-accepted paragraph style formatting for screenplays. Be original. Make all text RIGHT adjusted.
11) There are only very few themes under the sun and it's smart to imitate success. Take CASABLANCA. Change the names to Bob and Shamita. Change the city to Austin, Texas, And bingo! You've got yourself a 100% unacceptable script.
12) "Dramatic Structure" is for the pigeons. Create a Protagonist with no desire for anything in the world. After all, isn't he a Buddhist Monk?
Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 companies for the last 7 years.
In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).
You can reach him at writer111@gmail.com for a FREE consultation on all your copywriting needs.
You are most welcomed to visit his official web site http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials. While at it, you might also want to check the latest book he has edited: http://www.lulu.com/content/263630
1) Write a "feature-length" screenplay that is 30 pages long.
2) Write a "feature-length" screenplay that is 300 pages long.
3) Use a great day-glo orange cover to get noticed.
4) Paste photos generously to illustrate your scenes. Your smiling photo with your favorite pet next to you and typing away on your laptop would really enhance the aesthetic value of the front cover.
5) Provide frequent detailed camera and directorial instruction like “WIDE-ANGLE SHOT, the actors should imagine they are at a FUNERAL,” etc.
6) Use crazy font on the cover and inside the script in order to grab the attention of the studio Reader. Never use Courier.
7) Include sidebar notes for the Reader like "Dear Reader, please pay attention to the the plot reversal in this scene!"
8) Use character names that all start with the same letter and are very similar to one another like Jane, Joe, Jim, Jake, Jimmy, June, Jess, Jessie, Jesse, Jo, Jon, and Jil.
9) Make sure nothing is happening within the first 5 pages. For example, you can describe the gorgeous scenery as your protagonist takes a train ride from New York to Boston.
10) Do not use the universally-accepted paragraph style formatting for screenplays. Be original. Make all text RIGHT adjusted.
11) There are only very few themes under the sun and it's smart to imitate success. Take CASABLANCA. Change the names to Bob and Shamita. Change the city to Austin, Texas, And bingo! You've got yourself a 100% unacceptable script.
12) "Dramatic Structure" is for the pigeons. Create a Protagonist with no desire for anything in the world. After all, isn't he a Buddhist Monk?
Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 companies for the last 7 years.
In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).
You can reach him at writer111@gmail.com for a FREE consultation on all your copywriting needs.
You are most welcomed to visit his official web site http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials. While at it, you might also want to check the latest book he has edited: http://www.lulu.com/content/263630
Friday, July 31, 2009
How to Avoid the ' Fatal Coincidence' When Writing a Screenplay by Melvyn Heyes
There are a large number of pitfalls you can make as a screenwriter, but few are as glaring and as easy to avoid as the: 'Fatal Coincidence'. I'm not talking about the coincidences that often start a story, like Jason Bourne being found afloat by the fishing vessel at the beginning of the Bourne Identity. After all, if Mr. Bourne hadn't been picked up, there would not have been a story to tell. I'm talking about the ones where you find yourself saying - That's too improbable to happen! You've seen them at the movies or on DVD, unfortunately too many times. People showing up just at the right time, overhearing something just at the right time, or finding a miraculous clue, just at the right time. Some screenplays hide their coincidences and blend them into the story narrative so seamlessly you don't even notice. Here's one that does it really well (Spoiler alert):
In Scott Beattie's screenplay, Derailed, Charles meets his lawyer just before they go to the police to report that he is being blackmailed over his infidelity with Lucinda. But, first Charles decides he must tell Lucinda. Nice guy. Charles goes to the only places he knows where he can find her:
· At Lucinda's office, Charles is told by the receptionist that she is not there. Coincidentally, Lucinda is just walking out of the building. The problem for Charles is that, this Lucinda is not his lover. (So, who is she?).
· Charles then goes to what he thinks is Lucinda's apartment. But, a real estate agent there the apartment was rented to Lucinda and her boyfriend. (What's going on?).
· Finally, Charles desperately looks in another place he knows - the train station where Charles and Lucinda got off the train after they first met.
There, Charles finds Lucinda kissing the guy is man blackmailing Charles! This sequence constitutes an ideal end to Act II and provides the so-called 'Second Commitment to Act' or 'Plot Point B' in the Three Act Structure Model, and starts the 'Road Back' point in the Hero's Journey model.
Let's face it, the chance that Charles would arrive just at the right time to see this event is improbable, but the impact of the plot point revelation dampens our skepticism. We're ready to enter Act III and watch Charles get his revenge. This is the quality that screenwriter Beattie also incorporated into the plot of Collateral.
In contrast, here's a screenplay that isn't so seamless. In Patriot Games, Jack Ryan, now retired from the CIA, is on a working-vacation in London with his family. Just as Ryan sees his wife and daughter across the street, the IRA attack Lord William Holmes, the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, right in front of him! Later, when an IRA assassin tries to kill Ryan outside the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, Ryan just happens to get a glimpse of the same woman driving away in a Jeep as drove the getaway car after the attack in London. To cap the coincidences off, Ryan's memory of the woman is jogged when he just happens to accidentally go into the woman's restroom instead of the men's, and notice a woman with similar hair to the woman in the two vehicles.
So, how do you avoid 'Fatal Coincidences'?
· Find where they occur in your screenplay by asking yourself: 'Does this really stand a chance of happening?' If a coincidence makes things too easy for the protagonist, then your audience will likely not accept it.
· Give characters a specific reason for being in the location for the coincidence to occur. Note in Derailedhow Charles had a specific reason and rationale to be at the station (to look for Lucinda at a place he knows she visits) whereas as Ryan was there purely by coincidence.
· Have the character work to be in the situation for the coincidence to occur. The event seems more like preparedness simply meeting opportunity - it had to happen sooner or later. In Derailed, if seems like if Charles looks in enough places, he will eventually run into Lucinda.
· Foreshadow coincidences. Charles had already gone to two already familiar locations and received information that told him something was suspicious about Lucinda's story of who she was. By the third location, we were expecting to see something that answered what Lucinda was up to - and there is was! Make the coincidence seem inevitable.
· Have the coincidence explain something so large that the meaning of the coincidence overshadows the event itself.
Fatal Coincidences really reflect laziness and lack of creativity on behalf of the screenwriter. When you submit your screenplay to an agent or studies, Fatal Coincidences will do exactly that to your script. Avoid them!
Dr. Melvyn P. Heyes is a research scientist who has developed http://www.screenwritingscience.com a site dedicated to the analysis and the Sequence-Scene structure and plots of successful movie scripts to help you write your own screenplay. There you will find Screenplay Summaries of classic and contemporary Hollywood and Independent films to use as Templates and Event Roadmaps.
In Scott Beattie's screenplay, Derailed, Charles meets his lawyer just before they go to the police to report that he is being blackmailed over his infidelity with Lucinda. But, first Charles decides he must tell Lucinda. Nice guy. Charles goes to the only places he knows where he can find her:
· At Lucinda's office, Charles is told by the receptionist that she is not there. Coincidentally, Lucinda is just walking out of the building. The problem for Charles is that, this Lucinda is not his lover. (So, who is she?).
· Charles then goes to what he thinks is Lucinda's apartment. But, a real estate agent there the apartment was rented to Lucinda and her boyfriend. (What's going on?).
· Finally, Charles desperately looks in another place he knows - the train station where Charles and Lucinda got off the train after they first met.
There, Charles finds Lucinda kissing the guy is man blackmailing Charles! This sequence constitutes an ideal end to Act II and provides the so-called 'Second Commitment to Act' or 'Plot Point B' in the Three Act Structure Model, and starts the 'Road Back' point in the Hero's Journey model.
Let's face it, the chance that Charles would arrive just at the right time to see this event is improbable, but the impact of the plot point revelation dampens our skepticism. We're ready to enter Act III and watch Charles get his revenge. This is the quality that screenwriter Beattie also incorporated into the plot of Collateral.
In contrast, here's a screenplay that isn't so seamless. In Patriot Games, Jack Ryan, now retired from the CIA, is on a working-vacation in London with his family. Just as Ryan sees his wife and daughter across the street, the IRA attack Lord William Holmes, the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, right in front of him! Later, when an IRA assassin tries to kill Ryan outside the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, Ryan just happens to get a glimpse of the same woman driving away in a Jeep as drove the getaway car after the attack in London. To cap the coincidences off, Ryan's memory of the woman is jogged when he just happens to accidentally go into the woman's restroom instead of the men's, and notice a woman with similar hair to the woman in the two vehicles.
So, how do you avoid 'Fatal Coincidences'?
· Find where they occur in your screenplay by asking yourself: 'Does this really stand a chance of happening?' If a coincidence makes things too easy for the protagonist, then your audience will likely not accept it.
· Give characters a specific reason for being in the location for the coincidence to occur. Note in Derailedhow Charles had a specific reason and rationale to be at the station (to look for Lucinda at a place he knows she visits) whereas as Ryan was there purely by coincidence.
· Have the character work to be in the situation for the coincidence to occur. The event seems more like preparedness simply meeting opportunity - it had to happen sooner or later. In Derailed, if seems like if Charles looks in enough places, he will eventually run into Lucinda.
· Foreshadow coincidences. Charles had already gone to two already familiar locations and received information that told him something was suspicious about Lucinda's story of who she was. By the third location, we were expecting to see something that answered what Lucinda was up to - and there is was! Make the coincidence seem inevitable.
· Have the coincidence explain something so large that the meaning of the coincidence overshadows the event itself.
Fatal Coincidences really reflect laziness and lack of creativity on behalf of the screenwriter. When you submit your screenplay to an agent or studies, Fatal Coincidences will do exactly that to your script. Avoid them!
Dr. Melvyn P. Heyes is a research scientist who has developed http://www.screenwritingscience.com a site dedicated to the analysis and the Sequence-Scene structure and plots of successful movie scripts to help you write your own screenplay. There you will find Screenplay Summaries of classic and contemporary Hollywood and Independent films to use as Templates and Event Roadmaps.
Monday, July 27, 2009
How to Write a Successful Screenplay by Kal Bishop
First you have to get your head around the idea that there is really only one story. By that we mean this: every story you have ever seen or read is essentially an alternate situation superimposed, with individual style, over the same structure.
The Godfather (1972), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Gladiator (2000), Annie Hall (1977) and every other successful story you have ever seen or read are all one and the same - various situations superimposed over the same structure. Spielberg, Lucas, Scorsese, Coppola, Cameron all use this structure. Shakespeare used this structure. Stories in the Bible, the Vedas, the Torah and the Koran use this structure. You should use this structure.
Second you have to understand what is meant by structure. It is more than simple three or four acts or plot points etc..., it is a consistent, complex process through which your characters are led that results in them resolving their initial challenges. Many people are resistant to the idea that stories are processes because they are influenced by the many creativity myths.
Third, you have to understand, on a very deep level, what that structure is. It is the 510+ stages of the Hero's Journey you need to know about... and, on a macro level, involves:
...Movement through a number of Worlds.
...Transformation from various Devolved Selves to an Ultimate Self.
...Detachment from Older Worlds and Selves and Attachment to Newer Worlds and Selves.
...The Making Explicit of Deficiencies and the Gaining of Capacities.
...The Making Explicit of Challenges and the Laying Out of their Resolution.
...much, much more...
Fourth, you have to become adept with the structure, by superimposing various situations over it. The structure can be literal but it can also be highly metaphoric - it can take time to become flexible with the metaphors.
Fifth, once you have found a situation you are happy with, you develop your story by writing each sequence in your own, individual writing style. Once you have developed the competency, it is not necessarily that difficult: Sylvester Stallone wrote Rocky (1976) in three days, Joe Eszterhas wrote Basic Instinct (1992) in 13 days.
Learn more...
WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!
The Complete 510+ stage Hero's Journey, Monomyth and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html/
You will receive a free sample file by entering your email address at this site: http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html/
The Godfather (1972), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Gladiator (2000), Annie Hall (1977) and every other successful story you have ever seen or read are all one and the same - various situations superimposed over the same structure. Spielberg, Lucas, Scorsese, Coppola, Cameron all use this structure. Shakespeare used this structure. Stories in the Bible, the Vedas, the Torah and the Koran use this structure. You should use this structure.
Second you have to understand what is meant by structure. It is more than simple three or four acts or plot points etc..., it is a consistent, complex process through which your characters are led that results in them resolving their initial challenges. Many people are resistant to the idea that stories are processes because they are influenced by the many creativity myths.
Third, you have to understand, on a very deep level, what that structure is. It is the 510+ stages of the Hero's Journey you need to know about... and, on a macro level, involves:
...Movement through a number of Worlds.
...Transformation from various Devolved Selves to an Ultimate Self.
...Detachment from Older Worlds and Selves and Attachment to Newer Worlds and Selves.
...The Making Explicit of Deficiencies and the Gaining of Capacities.
...The Making Explicit of Challenges and the Laying Out of their Resolution.
...much, much more...
Fourth, you have to become adept with the structure, by superimposing various situations over it. The structure can be literal but it can also be highly metaphoric - it can take time to become flexible with the metaphors.
Fifth, once you have found a situation you are happy with, you develop your story by writing each sequence in your own, individual writing style. Once you have developed the competency, it is not necessarily that difficult: Sylvester Stallone wrote Rocky (1976) in three days, Joe Eszterhas wrote Basic Instinct (1992) in 13 days.
Learn more...
WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!
The Complete 510+ stage Hero's Journey, Monomyth and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html/
You will receive a free sample file by entering your email address at this site: http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html/
Social Media Changes the Face of Television
Reality Digital has indicated that the growing and ever changing world of social media and online video sharing is having a dramatic effect on modern television.
Consumption of visual materials is growing through the internet medium, with websites like Youtube and Hulu used for the mass syndication of video content. More advanced sites such as Vimeo are now providing high definition video online, proving that the constant development of video and recording technology is showing no signs of slowing down.
The possibilities that the internet has to offer broadcasters are endless. Many channels are now opting to stream their programmes over the web as well as through TV, meaning that more people are tuning into websites to view their favourite shows rather than watching the programme itself. The catch-up TV video platform is also becoming very popular, as most consumers prefer to have their programmes available, as and when they want to view them.
Social media is directly affecting television content too, with more and more programmes adopting interactive elements for audience participation, through social networks such as facebook and twitter. New programmes are beginning to be formed around the social network, rather than the opposite, showing the dominance of social media over television as a whole.
Source: www.realitydigital.com
Consumption of visual materials is growing through the internet medium, with websites like Youtube and Hulu used for the mass syndication of video content. More advanced sites such as Vimeo are now providing high definition video online, proving that the constant development of video and recording technology is showing no signs of slowing down.
The possibilities that the internet has to offer broadcasters are endless. Many channels are now opting to stream their programmes over the web as well as through TV, meaning that more people are tuning into websites to view their favourite shows rather than watching the programme itself. The catch-up TV video platform is also becoming very popular, as most consumers prefer to have their programmes available, as and when they want to view them.
Social media is directly affecting television content too, with more and more programmes adopting interactive elements for audience participation, through social networks such as facebook and twitter. New programmes are beginning to be formed around the social network, rather than the opposite, showing the dominance of social media over television as a whole.
Source: www.realitydigital.com
Monday, July 20, 2009
Web Site to Become the New Industry Standard in Movie Reviews
A new industry standard for measuring and understanding movie reviews, Movie Review Intelligence, Inc. announces the launch of www.MovieReviewIntelligence.com, giving moviegoers and industry professionals -- critics, filmmakers, marketers, distributors, exhibitors, and publishing editors -- the most accurate, detailed, and complete picture of movie reviews possible.
MovieReviewIntelligence.com offers commentary, charts, summaries, averages and comparisons in real-time. The company collects movie reviews on a 24-hour basis, analyzing hundreds of reviews each week in meticulous detail, with the goal of providing a new professional standard for measuring and understanding movie reviews.
MovieReviewIntelligence.com collects reviews from over 65 U.S. and Toronto newspapers, magazines, alternative weeklies, NPR and 'At the Movies.' These publications and critics have been selected because they are the most influential and representative of their kind, as measured by the size of their readership and audience, and largely comprise the body of reviews that moviegoers are seeing, reading and hearing.
Proprietary research conducted on behalf of MovieReviewIntelligence.com shows that 81 percent of moviegoers follow movie reviews. This represents 71,485,980 moviegoers who follow reviews.
The following are the key factors that MovieReviewIntelligence.com analyzes:
Positive Review Ratings: A 1 to 100 percent score that reflects the full range of reviews. The ratings are broken down by taste and geographic sub-groups so that moviegoers can understand how a movie appeals to them.
Review Mixture: This is the degree of variance among a movie's reviews.
Coverage, Volume, and Length: These show the size of the reviews.
Review Timing: This is a measure of when a movie's reviews are published.
Review Media Value: This is the estimated dollar value the reviews would be worth if their print space and airtime were bought like advertising.
MovieReviewIntelligence.com offers commentary, charts, summaries, averages and comparisons in real-time. The company collects movie reviews on a 24-hour basis, analyzing hundreds of reviews each week in meticulous detail, with the goal of providing a new professional standard for measuring and understanding movie reviews.
MovieReviewIntelligence.com collects reviews from over 65 U.S. and Toronto newspapers, magazines, alternative weeklies, NPR and 'At the Movies.' These publications and critics have been selected because they are the most influential and representative of their kind, as measured by the size of their readership and audience, and largely comprise the body of reviews that moviegoers are seeing, reading and hearing.
Proprietary research conducted on behalf of MovieReviewIntelligence.com shows that 81 percent of moviegoers follow movie reviews. This represents 71,485,980 moviegoers who follow reviews.
The following are the key factors that MovieReviewIntelligence.com analyzes:
Positive Review Ratings: A 1 to 100 percent score that reflects the full range of reviews. The ratings are broken down by taste and geographic sub-groups so that moviegoers can understand how a movie appeals to them.
Review Mixture: This is the degree of variance among a movie's reviews.
Coverage, Volume, and Length: These show the size of the reviews.
Review Timing: This is a measure of when a movie's reviews are published.
Review Media Value: This is the estimated dollar value the reviews would be worth if their print space and airtime were bought like advertising.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Breaks Records
Warner Bros. Pictures' "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" has already shattered two box office records, first breaking the record for a midnight opening with $22.2 million, eclipsing the studio's own record set last year by "The Dark Knight." "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" then flew past the worldwide opening day box office record: with the domestic gross of $58.18 million and the international totals of $45.85 million combining for an astounding one-day global box office gross of more than $104 million.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Screenplay Writing Tips For the Novice Screenwriter Susan Hart
The very first thing you must have in your head before you get started is a story. It can be about anything, but the concept must be attention getting or emotional, or action-packed. It can be fiction or non-fiction. After you have your story, write it down. Expand on it until it feels like the people in your screenplay are real. If your story is about an actual event or real people or celebrities, copyright must be cleared. For a new screenwriter, perhaps the best thing is to create an entirely fictional story. Get your title if you can. Now you will have your synopsis or small treatment. This is not set in stone and will surely evolve as you get going.
Secondly, pick a genre. This is important to producers and directors. A genre is a story that is mainly drama, or comedy, or Sci-Fi, etc. There are standard combo genres such as Romantic Comedies, known as RomComs. Decide right away what rating your screenplay will be -- G, PG, PG-13 or R. The pool of buyers for your screenplay will be the largest for a PG-13, so a first time screenwriter may choose that one. A genre and rating have to be picked before a writer puts a word onto the computer. You can change scenes as you go along put the general theme and genre cannot be changed, or else you've put yourself through a heck of a lot of work. Look up what the ratings mean and what can be included in a screenplay with a certain rating.
Thirdly, decide on your length. A drama or comedy are usually ninety pages to one hundred pages. A period piece or action/dramas can be up to one hundred and twenty pages. A screenplay by first time screenwriter should be between ninety and one hundred and twenty pages. A rule of thumb for a screenplay is one minute per page (as opposed to play scripts or musicals which are two minutes a page). If produced in Courier New 12 point type, producers can then judge the length of the screenplay, hence ninety pages is ninety minutes and one hundred and twenty pages is one hundred and twenty minutes. And the margins for a screenplay are 1.5 inches on the left and all others 1 inch. There is a very specific format for a screenplay and this is easy to find if you search around for a few minutes on the WWW.
Fourthly, you may find scenes popping into your head at the oddest moments, so keep an easy to use voice recorder handy and use it safely to record notes. It's also a good idea to carry a notebook and pen around or a small computer that you can jot down ideas on.
Lastly, when the bulk of your screenplay is done be sure and register it (you can do it online) at the Writers' Guild of America website. When you have completed it to your satisfaction, write a one page synopsis of the story, topped by a one sentence logline. If you feel that you have a wonderful story but are lacking in some areas of screenwriting such as scene structure etc., there are a lot of writers out there who may be able to help bring your "baby" to life. And after putting your heart and soul into it, you will truly feel like it's your baby.
Susan Hart is a former literary agent, born in England, with the majority of her clients being screenwriters. After many years of helping others get their work published or up on the big or small screen, she is concentrating on her own writing in the areas of articles (of many kinds), short stories, novels and screen plays plus editing and proofreading, Some samples of her work can be found on her website at: http://www.ifreelance.com/pro/49442
Secondly, pick a genre. This is important to producers and directors. A genre is a story that is mainly drama, or comedy, or Sci-Fi, etc. There are standard combo genres such as Romantic Comedies, known as RomComs. Decide right away what rating your screenplay will be -- G, PG, PG-13 or R. The pool of buyers for your screenplay will be the largest for a PG-13, so a first time screenwriter may choose that one. A genre and rating have to be picked before a writer puts a word onto the computer. You can change scenes as you go along put the general theme and genre cannot be changed, or else you've put yourself through a heck of a lot of work. Look up what the ratings mean and what can be included in a screenplay with a certain rating.
Thirdly, decide on your length. A drama or comedy are usually ninety pages to one hundred pages. A period piece or action/dramas can be up to one hundred and twenty pages. A screenplay by first time screenwriter should be between ninety and one hundred and twenty pages. A rule of thumb for a screenplay is one minute per page (as opposed to play scripts or musicals which are two minutes a page). If produced in Courier New 12 point type, producers can then judge the length of the screenplay, hence ninety pages is ninety minutes and one hundred and twenty pages is one hundred and twenty minutes. And the margins for a screenplay are 1.5 inches on the left and all others 1 inch. There is a very specific format for a screenplay and this is easy to find if you search around for a few minutes on the WWW.
Fourthly, you may find scenes popping into your head at the oddest moments, so keep an easy to use voice recorder handy and use it safely to record notes. It's also a good idea to carry a notebook and pen around or a small computer that you can jot down ideas on.
Lastly, when the bulk of your screenplay is done be sure and register it (you can do it online) at the Writers' Guild of America website. When you have completed it to your satisfaction, write a one page synopsis of the story, topped by a one sentence logline. If you feel that you have a wonderful story but are lacking in some areas of screenwriting such as scene structure etc., there are a lot of writers out there who may be able to help bring your "baby" to life. And after putting your heart and soul into it, you will truly feel like it's your baby.
Susan Hart is a former literary agent, born in England, with the majority of her clients being screenwriters. After many years of helping others get their work published or up on the big or small screen, she is concentrating on her own writing in the areas of articles (of many kinds), short stories, novels and screen plays plus editing and proofreading, Some samples of her work can be found on her website at: http://www.ifreelance.com/pro/49442
Monday, July 6, 2009
How to Write a Screenplay That Will Get Read by Jay Schillinger
So you have an idea for a movie? You just know it would be a big hit. All you need now is a good script. You remember that your friend has a buddy who knows someone who once sold a script to Disney. You contact them only to realize that you just don't have the $15,000 necessary to pay this con-artist mid-level Hollywood writer to take on "your baby." What next? Well, if you're like most ambitious, semi-intelligent zealots, you decide to go for it and just write the thing yourself! After all, how hard can it be? If Quentin Tarantino can do it, why can't you?
Congratulations! You're on your way. As Confucius once said, "beginning is half done." And I must say the only feeling better than finishing your first script is selling your first script. I still have the voice mail saved on my phone when I got that call that a production company wanted to buy my script.
So, you Google screenplays and decide to read a few great scripts ("Good Will Hunting," "Rocky," etc.). You get the basic formatting... and you're ready to go... or so you think. And this is where the trouble begins:
FADE IN:
Most scripts never get read beyond the first ten pages. I can't tell you how many times I've seen readers stop reading a script almost before they've begun. Why? Because these readers have 1,000,000 scripts behind yours to read. If they don't understand where your story is going or what it's about by the first 10-pages, they're simply going to assume the rest of the story is just as confusing; and stop reading. Thus, it is imperative that within those first 10-pages of your script, the reader knows (1) what your story is about (2) who your lead actor(s) are and (3) the who, what, where, when and why and how's of your story. SPEND AS MUCH TIME ON THESE FIRST 10-PAGES AS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE REST OF YOUR SCRIPT GETS READ!
Read the script out loud. To yourself. To friends. To strangers. To anyone who will listen. Then, have them tell you where they think the story's going. Have them share their thoughts. Input at this stage is crucial.
One of my favorite scripts is titled, "Big Bear." It's about a group of 20-something friends that take a trip to Big Bear, California. I loved this script and it was my first attempt at writing a comedy. Even though I would laugh every time I read it, the moment I had a group of friends read it out loud - I realized just how not-funny it was. This made me go back in and perform a major overhaul of the project. It's so important to do this. Scripts are not written - they're rewritten.
Now, before I go any further, I will admit that I do realize there is no "one-way" to write a great screenplay. I'm simply giving you the guidelines that work for 99.9% of the people out there. There are always exceptions to the rule. If that's you, great! No need to read on. If not... keep going. You're well on our way!
"A great rule of thumb is one-page per minute of script. Thus, a 90-page script translates into a 90-minute movie. And 90-minutes is the perfect length. How many times have you found yourself looking at your watch or waiting for the movie to get to the big climax? This is the fault of overly-wordy writers who tend to go on and on and on when all they should really be doing is getting to the end! We want our hero to live... we generally know they're going to anyway. We want our couple to fall in love... we generally know they're going to anyway. Stop dragging this on and let us have our satisfaction!"
You've now written 10 great pages. Your story is kicking in. At this point, everything is taking us to the end of Act 1. And where is the end of Act 1? Right about at page 30.
I was at ShoWest in Las Vegas listening to Gus Van Sant, Director of "Good Will Hunting" speak about that incredible screenplay. He said that after reading that story, he went back and circled the pages where the Act's broke. Act 1 was (literally) page 30. Midpoint was (literally) page 60. Act II was (literally) page 90. An incredible script.
Your Act I doesn't have to be at exactly page 30, but if it's not, it's generally a sign that you're dragging on a story point and beginning to bore your audience or reader. Or vice versa; you're not giving the audience enough information. Thus, if not page 30, it should be close to it.
So what happens at the end of Act I? That's up to you to decide. But whatever it is, it should throw your story into the second - and longest Act - Act II.
This could be...
- the girl gets kidnapped
- the boy realizes he loves the lowly waitress (and not the popular cheerleader)
- the code to the nuclear bombs have been stolen
It's endless. But whatever it is, we're now into the meat of our story! Fun, fun, fun!
Act II is, in my opinion, where most stories tend to drag down the entire film since it's the longest portion of the script; generally beginning at page 30 and running to page 75-90(ish). This is the meat of your story. Where the boy hunts down the killer. Where our character begins to develop and we see his/her arc unfold. EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN ACT II PREPARES US FOR THE CLIMATIC ENDING (ACT III).
Act II is where it just doesn't seem like it's going to happen... yet somehow, our story continues. It's here where you really need to introduce a few solid "beats." "Beats" are those moments that people talk about once the movie's over.
Staying on "Good Will Hunting," my favorite "beat" was the scene where Sean Maguire (played by Robin Williams) is lecturing Will (Matt Damon) on the importance of life's lessons. He explains that while Will could give him a diatribe on Michelangelo, he couldn't begin to tell him what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel.
This scene is powerful in that it showed Will (and the audience) the importance of living life. Exactly what Will needed at this time in his life of denial. It's a scene that sticks with you long after the movie's over. I love good "beats."
And, coincidentally, that scene was written at exactly Page 60 (midpoint).
Every good movie has two or three "beats." The great ones have more.
And now, we're on to Act III. The conclusion. This is the action-packed chase scene where the hero finally gets the villain. Where the boy kisses the girl and finally tells her he loves her. Where the nukes are finally back in the hands of the good guys.
Act III is no fluff. EVERY WORD must pull you forward. EVERY WORD must take you to the end. Act III has them on the edge of their seats. No more beating around the bush. This is in-your-face-storytelling. At it's best.
And then...
ROLL END CREDITS... and wait for the applause.
In Summary:
Pages 1-10: Who, what, where, when, why, how
Page 30: End of Act I
Page 60: Midpoint
Page 90: End of Act II
Page 120: End of Act III
The above really is just the tip of the iceberg. But if you follow that simple structure, you'll be heads and shoulders above those other 1,000,000 writers out there just hoping to have their screenplay turned into the next summer blockbuster.
FADE OUT.
Jay Schillinger is a scriptwriter and owner of NorthCoast Productions; an HD Production and Media Marketing company based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He can be contacted at jay@northcoastpro.com. By only taking on a few clients at a time, he can ensure he gives his full attention to each story. Having written over 13 screenplays, Jay's love for great storytelling is endless.
In addition to working for The Walt Disney Studios for eight years, Jay started the independent distribution company Bouquet Pictures Distribution.
Congratulations! You're on your way. As Confucius once said, "beginning is half done." And I must say the only feeling better than finishing your first script is selling your first script. I still have the voice mail saved on my phone when I got that call that a production company wanted to buy my script.
So, you Google screenplays and decide to read a few great scripts ("Good Will Hunting," "Rocky," etc.). You get the basic formatting... and you're ready to go... or so you think. And this is where the trouble begins:
FADE IN:
Most scripts never get read beyond the first ten pages. I can't tell you how many times I've seen readers stop reading a script almost before they've begun. Why? Because these readers have 1,000,000 scripts behind yours to read. If they don't understand where your story is going or what it's about by the first 10-pages, they're simply going to assume the rest of the story is just as confusing; and stop reading. Thus, it is imperative that within those first 10-pages of your script, the reader knows (1) what your story is about (2) who your lead actor(s) are and (3) the who, what, where, when and why and how's of your story. SPEND AS MUCH TIME ON THESE FIRST 10-PAGES AS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE REST OF YOUR SCRIPT GETS READ!
Read the script out loud. To yourself. To friends. To strangers. To anyone who will listen. Then, have them tell you where they think the story's going. Have them share their thoughts. Input at this stage is crucial.
One of my favorite scripts is titled, "Big Bear." It's about a group of 20-something friends that take a trip to Big Bear, California. I loved this script and it was my first attempt at writing a comedy. Even though I would laugh every time I read it, the moment I had a group of friends read it out loud - I realized just how not-funny it was. This made me go back in and perform a major overhaul of the project. It's so important to do this. Scripts are not written - they're rewritten.
Now, before I go any further, I will admit that I do realize there is no "one-way" to write a great screenplay. I'm simply giving you the guidelines that work for 99.9% of the people out there. There are always exceptions to the rule. If that's you, great! No need to read on. If not... keep going. You're well on our way!
"A great rule of thumb is one-page per minute of script. Thus, a 90-page script translates into a 90-minute movie. And 90-minutes is the perfect length. How many times have you found yourself looking at your watch or waiting for the movie to get to the big climax? This is the fault of overly-wordy writers who tend to go on and on and on when all they should really be doing is getting to the end! We want our hero to live... we generally know they're going to anyway. We want our couple to fall in love... we generally know they're going to anyway. Stop dragging this on and let us have our satisfaction!"
You've now written 10 great pages. Your story is kicking in. At this point, everything is taking us to the end of Act 1. And where is the end of Act 1? Right about at page 30.
I was at ShoWest in Las Vegas listening to Gus Van Sant, Director of "Good Will Hunting" speak about that incredible screenplay. He said that after reading that story, he went back and circled the pages where the Act's broke. Act 1 was (literally) page 30. Midpoint was (literally) page 60. Act II was (literally) page 90. An incredible script.
Your Act I doesn't have to be at exactly page 30, but if it's not, it's generally a sign that you're dragging on a story point and beginning to bore your audience or reader. Or vice versa; you're not giving the audience enough information. Thus, if not page 30, it should be close to it.
So what happens at the end of Act I? That's up to you to decide. But whatever it is, it should throw your story into the second - and longest Act - Act II.
This could be...
- the girl gets kidnapped
- the boy realizes he loves the lowly waitress (and not the popular cheerleader)
- the code to the nuclear bombs have been stolen
It's endless. But whatever it is, we're now into the meat of our story! Fun, fun, fun!
Act II is, in my opinion, where most stories tend to drag down the entire film since it's the longest portion of the script; generally beginning at page 30 and running to page 75-90(ish). This is the meat of your story. Where the boy hunts down the killer. Where our character begins to develop and we see his/her arc unfold. EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN ACT II PREPARES US FOR THE CLIMATIC ENDING (ACT III).
Act II is where it just doesn't seem like it's going to happen... yet somehow, our story continues. It's here where you really need to introduce a few solid "beats." "Beats" are those moments that people talk about once the movie's over.
Staying on "Good Will Hunting," my favorite "beat" was the scene where Sean Maguire (played by Robin Williams) is lecturing Will (Matt Damon) on the importance of life's lessons. He explains that while Will could give him a diatribe on Michelangelo, he couldn't begin to tell him what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel.
This scene is powerful in that it showed Will (and the audience) the importance of living life. Exactly what Will needed at this time in his life of denial. It's a scene that sticks with you long after the movie's over. I love good "beats."
And, coincidentally, that scene was written at exactly Page 60 (midpoint).
Every good movie has two or three "beats." The great ones have more.
And now, we're on to Act III. The conclusion. This is the action-packed chase scene where the hero finally gets the villain. Where the boy kisses the girl and finally tells her he loves her. Where the nukes are finally back in the hands of the good guys.
Act III is no fluff. EVERY WORD must pull you forward. EVERY WORD must take you to the end. Act III has them on the edge of their seats. No more beating around the bush. This is in-your-face-storytelling. At it's best.
And then...
ROLL END CREDITS... and wait for the applause.
In Summary:
Pages 1-10: Who, what, where, when, why, how
Page 30: End of Act I
Page 60: Midpoint
Page 90: End of Act II
Page 120: End of Act III
The above really is just the tip of the iceberg. But if you follow that simple structure, you'll be heads and shoulders above those other 1,000,000 writers out there just hoping to have their screenplay turned into the next summer blockbuster.
FADE OUT.
Jay Schillinger is a scriptwriter and owner of NorthCoast Productions; an HD Production and Media Marketing company based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He can be contacted at jay@northcoastpro.com. By only taking on a few clients at a time, he can ensure he gives his full attention to each story. Having written over 13 screenplays, Jay's love for great storytelling is endless.
In addition to working for The Walt Disney Studios for eight years, Jay started the independent distribution company Bouquet Pictures Distribution.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Writing Your Screenplay - Show Don't Tell by Susan Hart
As you sit down every day to work on your screenplay, the foremost thought in your mind should be -- write what is to be seen on the screen. There is no point in putting down "Her inner turmoil reminded her of a lost childhood". All that's needed is "She looks at the old photo and starts to sob".
Write your screenplay as if you are in the audience, watching the movie. Every word in a script should advance the story. There's no need to add fluff. If the storyline is not viable and complete, then the screenplay won't fly.
When I write a screenplay I usually see scenes whole, like little vignettes. They could have been inspired by things I've observed, or remembered. Once the main story is down, properly formatted as you go along (and you don't need expensive screenwriting programs to get started), then you can grab other scenes and ideas and plot points from your everyday life and add those to the people and places in your story.
It's best to have a story idea in mind before your start, or else you may get part of the way through the screenplay and get stopped. Scenes can come to you by sight or sound or photos, or even smells. When you are writing a screenplay open up your mind and let the ideas flow.
I've found that a drama or comedy screenplay is best at ninety to one hundred pages and an action or adventure or Sci-Fi screenplay turns out great at one hundred and twenty pages, or two hours of screen time. If you are great at stories but not so great at spelling or editing or grammar, then there are writers and editors out there who can help.
Remember, the play's the thing (according to Shakespeare!)
Susan Hart is a former literary agent, born in England, with the majority of her clients being screenwriters. After many years of helping others get their work published or up on the big or small screen, she is concentrating on her own writing in the areas of articles (of many kinds), short stories, novels and screenplays plus editing and proofreading, Some samples of her work can be found on her website at: http://www.ifreelance.com/pro/49442
Write your screenplay as if you are in the audience, watching the movie. Every word in a script should advance the story. There's no need to add fluff. If the storyline is not viable and complete, then the screenplay won't fly.
When I write a screenplay I usually see scenes whole, like little vignettes. They could have been inspired by things I've observed, or remembered. Once the main story is down, properly formatted as you go along (and you don't need expensive screenwriting programs to get started), then you can grab other scenes and ideas and plot points from your everyday life and add those to the people and places in your story.
It's best to have a story idea in mind before your start, or else you may get part of the way through the screenplay and get stopped. Scenes can come to you by sight or sound or photos, or even smells. When you are writing a screenplay open up your mind and let the ideas flow.
I've found that a drama or comedy screenplay is best at ninety to one hundred pages and an action or adventure or Sci-Fi screenplay turns out great at one hundred and twenty pages, or two hours of screen time. If you are great at stories but not so great at spelling or editing or grammar, then there are writers and editors out there who can help.
Remember, the play's the thing (according to Shakespeare!)
Susan Hart is a former literary agent, born in England, with the majority of her clients being screenwriters. After many years of helping others get their work published or up on the big or small screen, she is concentrating on her own writing in the areas of articles (of many kinds), short stories, novels and screenplays plus editing and proofreading, Some samples of her work can be found on her website at: http://www.ifreelance.com/pro/49442
Monday, June 29, 2009
Outline For a Screenplay - Writing an Outline For a Hollywood Screenplay by Melody Jackson
Writing a screenplay is a very complex process and will end up as a 100+ page document. So before you write it, it is very helpful to create a blueprint of what you are going to write, starting first with a treatment, and then writing the outline. You should first create a treatment of your story and work that out. (See related article.) Once you have the treatment worked out, then you could write the outline.
An outline should contain heading for every scene in your script. It doesn't have to have all the establishing shots yet, but it should outline and note every major scene that will happen. You would format the scene headings properly and essentially be creating the skeleton of your script, but doesn't yet include all the details.
The outline will contain the actual scene headings and it will also have lines of description that will be in the final script.
It can also have some dialogue in it, but only in places where it is easier to write the dialogue of a character than to describe what they do and say.
The outline will lay out where things will go, more for structure purpose. You also can put in "placeholders." So, for example, you might put in a scene heading and then beneath it, write: "This is where Veronica will listen to the phone messages and discover that Blake has been seeing someone else." That would be considered a placeholder for that scene that you will come back and flesh out later.
If you likened the outline to building a house, you could think of the outline as being the architect's blueprint and the contractor's foundation with the support beams. The treatment is more like a full-color sketch of the interior of the house, while the outline is the foundation and support beams and walls and so on.
With the outline, you are getting the pieces in place that are important to the story, but it doesn't have the feel of the "house" or the screenplay yet.
An outline is more of a work in progress developing into the screenplay just like a house being built, while the treatment is a story that is whole and complete in and of itself. You could think of the treatment as a miniature or scale model of the whole thing.
An outline can be anywhere from 7 to 30 pages. Single-spaced within the paragraphs with a double space between paragraphs. Use a 12-point font that is easy to read (Arial, Courier, Times New Roman).
Melody Jackson, Ph.D., is the founder of Smart Girls Productions, a Hollywood Marketing Company supporting Screenwriters in moving their careers forward. If you are ready to jump-start your career, increase your confidence, and have more fun pursuing Hollywood success, get "Plugged In" at http://www.QueryLetterMailings.com Also get your FREE REPORT on "The Top 20 Literary Agents In Hollywood," along with Hot Tips on Marketing Yourself To Hollywood. Melody has critiqued thousands of screenplays in depth and was rated a Top 5 Script Consultant in the country by Creative Screenwriting Magazine. Go to http://www.ScriptCritiques.com for more information on marketing to Hollywood.
An outline should contain heading for every scene in your script. It doesn't have to have all the establishing shots yet, but it should outline and note every major scene that will happen. You would format the scene headings properly and essentially be creating the skeleton of your script, but doesn't yet include all the details.
The outline will contain the actual scene headings and it will also have lines of description that will be in the final script.
It can also have some dialogue in it, but only in places where it is easier to write the dialogue of a character than to describe what they do and say.
The outline will lay out where things will go, more for structure purpose. You also can put in "placeholders." So, for example, you might put in a scene heading and then beneath it, write: "This is where Veronica will listen to the phone messages and discover that Blake has been seeing someone else." That would be considered a placeholder for that scene that you will come back and flesh out later.
If you likened the outline to building a house, you could think of the outline as being the architect's blueprint and the contractor's foundation with the support beams. The treatment is more like a full-color sketch of the interior of the house, while the outline is the foundation and support beams and walls and so on.
With the outline, you are getting the pieces in place that are important to the story, but it doesn't have the feel of the "house" or the screenplay yet.
An outline is more of a work in progress developing into the screenplay just like a house being built, while the treatment is a story that is whole and complete in and of itself. You could think of the treatment as a miniature or scale model of the whole thing.
An outline can be anywhere from 7 to 30 pages. Single-spaced within the paragraphs with a double space between paragraphs. Use a 12-point font that is easy to read (Arial, Courier, Times New Roman).
Melody Jackson, Ph.D., is the founder of Smart Girls Productions, a Hollywood Marketing Company supporting Screenwriters in moving their careers forward. If you are ready to jump-start your career, increase your confidence, and have more fun pursuing Hollywood success, get "Plugged In" at http://www.QueryLetterMailings.com Also get your FREE REPORT on "The Top 20 Literary Agents In Hollywood," along with Hot Tips on Marketing Yourself To Hollywood. Melody has critiqued thousands of screenplays in depth and was rated a Top 5 Script Consultant in the country by Creative Screenwriting Magazine. Go to http://www.ScriptCritiques.com for more information on marketing to Hollywood.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Using Theme to Develop Screenplay Structure - A Thematic and Structural Analysis of Drag Me to Hell by Jacob Krueger
One of the most common questions that come up for screenwriting students is about how to use theme to help develop the structure of your movie. The film "Drag Me To Hell" provides a great example of masterful writers (Sam and Ivan Raimi) using theme to craft a profound journey for their protagonist, within a fun, entertaining and highly commercial aesthetic.
Spoiler alert: If you haven't watched this movie yet, this might be a good time to dash out and see it. Then come on back and read all about it...
The theme of "Drag Me To Hell" is pretty simple: selfish desire leads to the soul's destruction. The film begins with a woman who is genuinely good. And step by step, the structure of the film quite literally drags her to hell- not just through the terrible curse that she must contend with, but by causing her to make such immoral choices in her attempts to escape it that by the time it's all over, she just about deserves her fate.
When we first meet Christine Brown, she is pure heaven. She's sweet. She's kind. She loves animals, and she cares about others. The first time we see her, she's delivering good news to a nice young couple- she's made it work for them to get the mortgage they need. Everyone is so happy.
And it's just the beginning of the movie. So we know we're in trouble.
Unfortunately for Christine, there's something that she wants very badly- a promotion to be assistant manager at the bank. And her chauvinistic boss doesn't think she's tough enough to deserve it.
Uh oh.
Characters develop when we test their convictions, so the Raimis come up with a scene to do just that. "Oh, you're really so good? Let's see what happens when you have to choose between repossessing the home of a helpless old gypsy woman, and losing your only shot at that job you want so badly."
What choice do you think she makes?
Selfish desire.
So, even when the old woman prostrates herself before Christine, begging for mercy, Christine still doesn't budge. She wants that promotion. So bad she can taste it. And she's willing to do something she knows is wrong to get it.
Next thing you know, she's cursed. A demon is coming for her soul, and she's got three days to stop it.
In her attempt to escape, Christine will violate almost every ethical code she once held. She will repeatedly deny responsibility for her actions (even during the seance in which they attempt to cast out the demon), lie about her decision to repossess the old woman's home, and instead lay the blame on her boss.
She will slaughter her cute little kitten in an attempt to appease the demon's lust for her soul (so much for volunteering at animal shelters).
She will even come close to murder (or worse), as she attempts to pass the curse on to some other victim instead (by re-gifting the button which marks her as the demon's target).
Why? Because ultimately she wants to escape the curse more than she wants to uphold her values. Just like she wanted to get the promotion (and escape the "curse" of her unfair work environment) more than she wanted to show mercy to the old woman.
Of course, in a fair world, Christine wouldn't have to sin. That's what is so great about the structure of this screenplay. Her dominant trait is her KINDNESS. It's only the unfairness of the world- the unfair job, the unfair curse- the sheer horror of it all, that forces Christine to choose between her desire and her morality. That's how the writers test who she is, and force her to change.
Unfortunately, Christine repeatedly fails the test, slowly but surely letting go of what is good about her, and dragging herself to hell in the process.
And even when she decides not to re-gift the button to an innocent stranger, Christine does not fully recapture her morality. She doesn't sit at the grave of the old woman, admit her wrongdoing and beg forgiveness of her spirit. Instead, she tries to condemn the soul of the woman she wronged, by re-gifting the button to her dead corpse. In the process, she also desecrates the old woman's grave and commits the same sin her palm reader first assumed she might have committed- speaking ill of the dead in a cemetery).
Having come to this false victory by re-gifting the envelope she believes to contain the button to the old woman's corpse, Christine thinks she has solved her problem. But she hasn't. And not because of the mix up with the envelopes. Because she still cares more about herself than she does about those around her.
Selfish Desire.
So even though Christine (after she thinks she's gotten EVERYTHING she desires) ultimately confides to her boyfriend that she was the one who chose to repossess the woman's house, and that this was the wrong thing to do. When her selfish desire is tested one last time, she makes the same mistake all over again.
There is her boyfriend, standing with the button in his hand, and presumably damned to hell because of it. Does Christine try to snatch the button from him? Does she risk her life to save his?
No, she tries to escape, once again. Tumbles into the train tracks. And is carried off to hell.
Selfish desire.
It's not the curse that damns Christine, it's her decisions.
And it's not the button that determines her boyfriend's salvation. It's the choices he makes.
Time and again, his desires are tested as well. And time and again, he does what is right, even when it means not getting what he wants. He makes the selfless choice for the love of Christine- agreeing to the palm reading, refusing the demands of his parents, giving her 10,000 dollars to see a spiritual advisor he doesn't even believe in. He does all of this without even believing that Christine is haunted, and without thought of gain for himself. He does it because he loves her.
His morality remains intact, because his love is stronger than his selfish desire.
Hers does not, because her selfish desire is stronger than her love.
And the structure of the screenplay works because it tests them both, establishing their dominant traits, and then forcing both characters to grapple with the theme, by making active choices that drive the story and ultimately bring about their own salvation or their own destruction.
Have a question about screenwriting?
Ask award-winning screenwriter Jacob Krueger, and your question could be featured in an article like this one. You can email Jacob at jake@screenwritersmind.com.
For more information about screenwriting, or to find out more about Jacob's screenwriting classes in the New York City Area, please visit his website: http://www.screenwritersmind.com/
Copyright (C) Jacob Krueger 2009
Spoiler alert: If you haven't watched this movie yet, this might be a good time to dash out and see it. Then come on back and read all about it...
The theme of "Drag Me To Hell" is pretty simple: selfish desire leads to the soul's destruction. The film begins with a woman who is genuinely good. And step by step, the structure of the film quite literally drags her to hell- not just through the terrible curse that she must contend with, but by causing her to make such immoral choices in her attempts to escape it that by the time it's all over, she just about deserves her fate.
When we first meet Christine Brown, she is pure heaven. She's sweet. She's kind. She loves animals, and she cares about others. The first time we see her, she's delivering good news to a nice young couple- she's made it work for them to get the mortgage they need. Everyone is so happy.
And it's just the beginning of the movie. So we know we're in trouble.
Unfortunately for Christine, there's something that she wants very badly- a promotion to be assistant manager at the bank. And her chauvinistic boss doesn't think she's tough enough to deserve it.
Uh oh.
Characters develop when we test their convictions, so the Raimis come up with a scene to do just that. "Oh, you're really so good? Let's see what happens when you have to choose between repossessing the home of a helpless old gypsy woman, and losing your only shot at that job you want so badly."
What choice do you think she makes?
Selfish desire.
So, even when the old woman prostrates herself before Christine, begging for mercy, Christine still doesn't budge. She wants that promotion. So bad she can taste it. And she's willing to do something she knows is wrong to get it.
Next thing you know, she's cursed. A demon is coming for her soul, and she's got three days to stop it.
In her attempt to escape, Christine will violate almost every ethical code she once held. She will repeatedly deny responsibility for her actions (even during the seance in which they attempt to cast out the demon), lie about her decision to repossess the old woman's home, and instead lay the blame on her boss.
She will slaughter her cute little kitten in an attempt to appease the demon's lust for her soul (so much for volunteering at animal shelters).
She will even come close to murder (or worse), as she attempts to pass the curse on to some other victim instead (by re-gifting the button which marks her as the demon's target).
Why? Because ultimately she wants to escape the curse more than she wants to uphold her values. Just like she wanted to get the promotion (and escape the "curse" of her unfair work environment) more than she wanted to show mercy to the old woman.
Of course, in a fair world, Christine wouldn't have to sin. That's what is so great about the structure of this screenplay. Her dominant trait is her KINDNESS. It's only the unfairness of the world- the unfair job, the unfair curse- the sheer horror of it all, that forces Christine to choose between her desire and her morality. That's how the writers test who she is, and force her to change.
Unfortunately, Christine repeatedly fails the test, slowly but surely letting go of what is good about her, and dragging herself to hell in the process.
And even when she decides not to re-gift the button to an innocent stranger, Christine does not fully recapture her morality. She doesn't sit at the grave of the old woman, admit her wrongdoing and beg forgiveness of her spirit. Instead, she tries to condemn the soul of the woman she wronged, by re-gifting the button to her dead corpse. In the process, she also desecrates the old woman's grave and commits the same sin her palm reader first assumed she might have committed- speaking ill of the dead in a cemetery).
Having come to this false victory by re-gifting the envelope she believes to contain the button to the old woman's corpse, Christine thinks she has solved her problem. But she hasn't. And not because of the mix up with the envelopes. Because she still cares more about herself than she does about those around her.
Selfish Desire.
So even though Christine (after she thinks she's gotten EVERYTHING she desires) ultimately confides to her boyfriend that she was the one who chose to repossess the woman's house, and that this was the wrong thing to do. When her selfish desire is tested one last time, she makes the same mistake all over again.
There is her boyfriend, standing with the button in his hand, and presumably damned to hell because of it. Does Christine try to snatch the button from him? Does she risk her life to save his?
No, she tries to escape, once again. Tumbles into the train tracks. And is carried off to hell.
Selfish desire.
It's not the curse that damns Christine, it's her decisions.
And it's not the button that determines her boyfriend's salvation. It's the choices he makes.
Time and again, his desires are tested as well. And time and again, he does what is right, even when it means not getting what he wants. He makes the selfless choice for the love of Christine- agreeing to the palm reading, refusing the demands of his parents, giving her 10,000 dollars to see a spiritual advisor he doesn't even believe in. He does all of this without even believing that Christine is haunted, and without thought of gain for himself. He does it because he loves her.
His morality remains intact, because his love is stronger than his selfish desire.
Hers does not, because her selfish desire is stronger than her love.
And the structure of the screenplay works because it tests them both, establishing their dominant traits, and then forcing both characters to grapple with the theme, by making active choices that drive the story and ultimately bring about their own salvation or their own destruction.
Have a question about screenwriting?
Ask award-winning screenwriter Jacob Krueger, and your question could be featured in an article like this one. You can email Jacob at jake@screenwritersmind.com.
For more information about screenwriting, or to find out more about Jacob's screenwriting classes in the New York City Area, please visit his website: http://www.screenwritersmind.com/
Copyright (C) Jacob Krueger 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Palms for Life Fund Launches Young Filmmakers' Competition to Document Hunger in the United States
A new national film contest, Faces of Hunger in America, will award prizes to young filmmakers, 25 years of age and under, who document in their own communities the increasingly widespread problem of hunger in America. The top three winners will receive cash prizes of $5,000, $3,500 and $1,500; they will get exposure to a vast audience in a full-length compilation of the prize-winning works.
"Over 36 million Americans are living in food insecurity - 12.4 million being children - and we want to bring this alarming reality to the attention of the public and the nation's leaders," says Hannah Laufer-Rottman, Executive Director and founder of Palms for Life Fund (*), the main sponsor of the contest.
Laufer-Rottman, who retired from the United Nations' World Food Programme after 30 years, says the effects of domestic hunger are just as pressing as the epidemic of hunger and poverty on a global level. "Everyone knows what hunger looks like in third world countries, but the effects of hunger here are quite different. Obesity, malnutrition, physical/mental impairments...are all effects of hunger. When people are unable to access consistently sustainable amounts of food for a healthy life, society suffers as a whole."
Young filmmakers will be able to upload their entries online, where the public will partake in the first round of voting beginning October 16th, World Food Day. "By empowering the public to vote for their favorite films, we are ensuring that the films get viewed and the problem is exposed. Change begins with awareness," says Project Manager, Sandra Ciccone.
Finalists will be judged on the clear conveyance of the message, creativity, impact and overall quality of the work.
To find out more about the competition, please visit the official website: http://www.facesofhunger.org and register for the mailing list if you are interested in participating in the contest.
"Over 36 million Americans are living in food insecurity - 12.4 million being children - and we want to bring this alarming reality to the attention of the public and the nation's leaders," says Hannah Laufer-Rottman, Executive Director and founder of Palms for Life Fund (*), the main sponsor of the contest.
Laufer-Rottman, who retired from the United Nations' World Food Programme after 30 years, says the effects of domestic hunger are just as pressing as the epidemic of hunger and poverty on a global level. "Everyone knows what hunger looks like in third world countries, but the effects of hunger here are quite different. Obesity, malnutrition, physical/mental impairments...are all effects of hunger. When people are unable to access consistently sustainable amounts of food for a healthy life, society suffers as a whole."
Young filmmakers will be able to upload their entries online, where the public will partake in the first round of voting beginning October 16th, World Food Day. "By empowering the public to vote for their favorite films, we are ensuring that the films get viewed and the problem is exposed. Change begins with awareness," says Project Manager, Sandra Ciccone.
Finalists will be judged on the clear conveyance of the message, creativity, impact and overall quality of the work.
To find out more about the competition, please visit the official website: http://www.facesofhunger.org and register for the mailing list if you are interested in participating in the contest.
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Myth of Three Act Screenplay Structure (Or, Why Am I Lost in My Second Act?) Jacob Krueger
For about as long as there have been screenwriting books, young writers have been taught that movies have a three act structure. Each act is viewed as 30 to 60 page chunk of the plot and when they're all assembled together, they provide a beginning, middle, and an end for your story.
Countless script doctors, critics, teachers, and producers have used this structure to break down great movies, and analyze how they are put together.
But while this may be a great way of looking at a finished script from a critical perspective, it's not particularly useful to screenwriters. When you're beginning a new project, it's not exactly groundbreaking news that your story is going to need a beginning, middle and an end. The real challenge is figuring out how to structure your story in a way that captures the essence of your character's journey.
Trying to use three act structure to create the story of your movie is like trying to sprint through a marathon. You may start off strong, but by the time you hit the middle of the story, you'll most likely be running out of steam. The plot starts to feel external, manufactured, predictable or diffuse. The ideas just aren't coming anymore. Or you find yourself spinning off in all kinds of directions that take you away from your main character and the story you were telling.
This is a common malady. It's called "getting lost in the second act." And it's killed more good screenplays than any Hollywood big shot.
That's why I came up with Seven Act Structure.
Seven Act Structure is not for producers. It's not for critics, or professors, or development executives.
Seven Act Structure is for writers.
To understand Seven Act Structure, you need to start by understanding the idea of an act.
An Act Is Not Just About Plot
That's because great movies are about much more than plot. They're about interesting characters going on profound journeys that change them forever.
Think about any movie you've loved and you'll know this is true. The details of the plot get fuzzy with time, but those powerful moments stay with you forever.
So rather than thinking of an act as something you "fill" with plot, I'd like to encourage you to think of it as a way of tracking the journey your character is undertaking, and the way that journey is forever changing your character.
Each Act Is Just A Step In Your Character's Change
People don't change easily, and your character shouldn't either. Take a moment to think about what it would take to make you completely change your own life, how many fears you'd have to overcome, and how many challenges you'd have to face, and you'll have a taste of the kind of resistance your character is fighting. Structure evolves as a way of pushing your character toward a profound change-- whether he or she wants it or not.
So as you develop your structure, you can think of each act as one small step in the radical change your character is undergoing.
When you begin to think of an act in this way, one thing will jump out at you pretty quickly.
Trying to use three act structure to create a film means you are trying to take a character through the most profound journey in his or her life in only THREE STEPS.
That's 30-60 pages per step.
And that's a lot of pages!
No wonder writers tend to get lost in the second act!
Seven Act Structure is a new way of looking at structure from a character's perspective, allowing you to break down the character's change into manageable chunks, and to give yourself a structure you can actually use.
Because of the unique "engine" built into the structure, it's impossible to run out of steam. It keeps your focus where it should be, on your main character.
And best of all, it lines up perfectly with a studio's "three act" expectations, so the Hollywood big shots will never know the difference.
copyright (c) Jacob Krueger 2009
Curious About Seven Act Structure?
Take a class or workshop with Award-Winning Screenwriter Jacob Krueger, and learn the ins and outs of the seven act screenplay among a supportive community of writers just like you.
All classes are held in the New York City Area.
More Information:
Web: http://www.jacobkrueger.com
Phone: 917-464-3594
Happy Writing!
Jacob Krueger
Countless script doctors, critics, teachers, and producers have used this structure to break down great movies, and analyze how they are put together.
But while this may be a great way of looking at a finished script from a critical perspective, it's not particularly useful to screenwriters. When you're beginning a new project, it's not exactly groundbreaking news that your story is going to need a beginning, middle and an end. The real challenge is figuring out how to structure your story in a way that captures the essence of your character's journey.
Trying to use three act structure to create the story of your movie is like trying to sprint through a marathon. You may start off strong, but by the time you hit the middle of the story, you'll most likely be running out of steam. The plot starts to feel external, manufactured, predictable or diffuse. The ideas just aren't coming anymore. Or you find yourself spinning off in all kinds of directions that take you away from your main character and the story you were telling.
This is a common malady. It's called "getting lost in the second act." And it's killed more good screenplays than any Hollywood big shot.
That's why I came up with Seven Act Structure.
Seven Act Structure is not for producers. It's not for critics, or professors, or development executives.
Seven Act Structure is for writers.
To understand Seven Act Structure, you need to start by understanding the idea of an act.
An Act Is Not Just About Plot
That's because great movies are about much more than plot. They're about interesting characters going on profound journeys that change them forever.
Think about any movie you've loved and you'll know this is true. The details of the plot get fuzzy with time, but those powerful moments stay with you forever.
So rather than thinking of an act as something you "fill" with plot, I'd like to encourage you to think of it as a way of tracking the journey your character is undertaking, and the way that journey is forever changing your character.
Each Act Is Just A Step In Your Character's Change
People don't change easily, and your character shouldn't either. Take a moment to think about what it would take to make you completely change your own life, how many fears you'd have to overcome, and how many challenges you'd have to face, and you'll have a taste of the kind of resistance your character is fighting. Structure evolves as a way of pushing your character toward a profound change-- whether he or she wants it or not.
So as you develop your structure, you can think of each act as one small step in the radical change your character is undergoing.
When you begin to think of an act in this way, one thing will jump out at you pretty quickly.
Trying to use three act structure to create a film means you are trying to take a character through the most profound journey in his or her life in only THREE STEPS.
That's 30-60 pages per step.
And that's a lot of pages!
No wonder writers tend to get lost in the second act!
Seven Act Structure is a new way of looking at structure from a character's perspective, allowing you to break down the character's change into manageable chunks, and to give yourself a structure you can actually use.
Because of the unique "engine" built into the structure, it's impossible to run out of steam. It keeps your focus where it should be, on your main character.
And best of all, it lines up perfectly with a studio's "three act" expectations, so the Hollywood big shots will never know the difference.
copyright (c) Jacob Krueger 2009
Curious About Seven Act Structure?
Take a class or workshop with Award-Winning Screenwriter Jacob Krueger, and learn the ins and outs of the seven act screenplay among a supportive community of writers just like you.
All classes are held in the New York City Area.
More Information:
Web: http://www.jacobkrueger.com
Phone: 917-464-3594
Happy Writing!
Jacob Krueger
Monday, May 25, 2009
For Screenwriters - What If My Writing Isn't Good? How to Combat the Emily Dickinson Syndrome by Jacob Krueger
I recently had a student ask me a profound question. After chugging along excitedly for a month on a first draft of a new screenplay, he had found himself paralyzed by a terrifying question:
"What if it isn't GOOD?"
I think we can all imagine his horror-- the kind of horror only a writer can feel, after pouring everything you've got into something that may not turn out to be what you dreamed it would be.
The horror of not knowing. And possibly, not wanting to know...
This is what I like to call the "Emily Dickinson Syndrome"-- the urge to hide your writing away where you can never find out what's good or bad about it.
It's the same urge that keeps writers from finishing some of their best projects, for fear of not living up to their own expectations.
It's that same little voice in your head that comes up with the excuse just when you're ready to sit down to write, sign up for a writing class, or get your script out to an agent or producer.
It's the fear of being judged as NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Let me say this loud and clear:
In order to write well. You have to be willing to write badly. And you've got to be willing to show your work, not always knowing how people are going to respond.
Writing is a lot like mining. It's hard work. You can't always see where you're going. You've got to sort through a lot of stuff. And most of it's not gold.
But if you don't bring it up to the surface where others can see it, you'll never know what you have.
Becoming a great writer is not about having some kind of secret blessing that other people are missing. It's about generating as many pages as you can, and getting really good at noticing the flashes of brilliance within them.
As you become more skilled at excavation, you'll learn how to follow these unpolished nuggets and shimmering dust until you find the big vein of gold you're really looking for. That's the moment when your script suddenly seems to be writing itself.
You've just got to be willing to do a lot of digging to get there.
And every once in awhile, you've got to take a step back from the process, come up for air, and check out what you've got.
The question is, where will you surface?
To really know if your writing is working, you've got to show it to people who know what they're talking about.
To the untrained eye, gold doesn't look a lot like gold. In fact, it looks a lot more like rock. But when it's polished, shined, hammered, and shaped, its value is unmistakable.
Don't get your initial feedback from just anybody. Get it from someone who's at least as good an excavator as your are. Take a class. Find a professional. Or you may end up throwing out your best scenes, simply because they're not yet polished enough for a layman's eyes.
ABOUT JACOB KRUEGER: Jacob's writing includes the screenplay for "The Matthew Shepard Story," which won the Writers Guild of America Paul Selvin Award, earned Stockard Channing an Emmy for Best Actress, and was nominated a Gemini Award for Best Screenplay. He is also a critically acclaimed director and creative coach.
copyright (c) 2009 Jacob Krueger
Ready To Take The Next Step?
Ready to come up to the surface? Sign up for a Screenwriting Workshop or Master Class with Jacob Krueger today and learn the skills you need to mine for the good stuff, in a supportive community of writers just like you.
More Information:
Web: http://www.jacobkrueger.com/
"What if it isn't GOOD?"
I think we can all imagine his horror-- the kind of horror only a writer can feel, after pouring everything you've got into something that may not turn out to be what you dreamed it would be.
The horror of not knowing. And possibly, not wanting to know...
This is what I like to call the "Emily Dickinson Syndrome"-- the urge to hide your writing away where you can never find out what's good or bad about it.
It's the same urge that keeps writers from finishing some of their best projects, for fear of not living up to their own expectations.
It's that same little voice in your head that comes up with the excuse just when you're ready to sit down to write, sign up for a writing class, or get your script out to an agent or producer.
It's the fear of being judged as NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Let me say this loud and clear:
In order to write well. You have to be willing to write badly. And you've got to be willing to show your work, not always knowing how people are going to respond.
Writing is a lot like mining. It's hard work. You can't always see where you're going. You've got to sort through a lot of stuff. And most of it's not gold.
But if you don't bring it up to the surface where others can see it, you'll never know what you have.
Becoming a great writer is not about having some kind of secret blessing that other people are missing. It's about generating as many pages as you can, and getting really good at noticing the flashes of brilliance within them.
As you become more skilled at excavation, you'll learn how to follow these unpolished nuggets and shimmering dust until you find the big vein of gold you're really looking for. That's the moment when your script suddenly seems to be writing itself.
You've just got to be willing to do a lot of digging to get there.
And every once in awhile, you've got to take a step back from the process, come up for air, and check out what you've got.
The question is, where will you surface?
To really know if your writing is working, you've got to show it to people who know what they're talking about.
To the untrained eye, gold doesn't look a lot like gold. In fact, it looks a lot more like rock. But when it's polished, shined, hammered, and shaped, its value is unmistakable.
Don't get your initial feedback from just anybody. Get it from someone who's at least as good an excavator as your are. Take a class. Find a professional. Or you may end up throwing out your best scenes, simply because they're not yet polished enough for a layman's eyes.
ABOUT JACOB KRUEGER: Jacob's writing includes the screenplay for "The Matthew Shepard Story," which won the Writers Guild of America Paul Selvin Award, earned Stockard Channing an Emmy for Best Actress, and was nominated a Gemini Award for Best Screenplay. He is also a critically acclaimed director and creative coach.
copyright (c) 2009 Jacob Krueger
Ready To Take The Next Step?
Ready to come up to the surface? Sign up for a Screenwriting Workshop or Master Class with Jacob Krueger today and learn the skills you need to mine for the good stuff, in a supportive community of writers just like you.
More Information:
Web: http://www.jacobkrueger.com/
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Screenplay Formula, Treatment, Template - Star Trek (2009) by Kal Bishop
Star Trek (2009) is a classic example of the 510+ stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) screen and story writing pattern; this film doesn't stray far from the template at all. Examples include:a) Hero Parent Death. Kirk's father dies at the hands of Nero's machinations and to save the lives of others. It is normal for the Hero's Parent to perish in the Original World, specifically, within a certain part of the Original World and, specifically, in a certain manner and, further, at the hands of the Greater Antagonism.
b) The Hero passes through a variety of Worlds before we encounter the Devolved Self in the Ordinary World. This film touches on some of the aspects of the Hero's passage through the Exterior and the Another Worlds, where the Hero's Superior Capacities are made explicit - in this story, we are exposed to Kirk's prowess in the car and his evasion of the robot cop.
c) Spock and Kirk play each others' Peer Brother Archetype. The normal passage is for the Hero to eclipse the Peer Brother, but here they play dual archetypal roles of Peer Brother and Supernatural Aid, and converge in ACT III rather than diverge.
d) The Romantic Challenge (Uhura) plays the Ordinary World and New World Romantic Challenge; she is polarised at the start of the story and seized (Bride Theft, Seizing the Sword) at the correct stage.
e) Pike plays the Original World Supernatural Aid as well as the Edge of the Ordinary World Supernatural Aid, both exactly to template.
Learn more...
WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!
The Complete 510+ stage Hero's Journey, Monomyth and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html/
Image comparisons and a free sample file also at this site: http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html
Kal Bishop, MBA
Friday, May 22, 2009
Kill Your Outline - A Screenwriter's Guide to Discovering Your Character by Jacob Krueger
Young writers often get obsessed with writing for the audience. Even in the earliest drafts, their focus is on sneaking in tons of exposition about their characters, layering themes or symbolic motifs, or carefully outlining the mechanics for a surprise ending they think will be the key to selling their script.
It's no wonder that this happens. After all, these are the things that film scholars rave about and film studies classes teach- complex psychological portraits and deep thematic importance, screenplay structures, beat sheets and outlines.
So why do movies written this way so often come out flat? Why does it seem like nothing is happening, when the writer has put so much effort into building the psychological life of the character? Why do all the themes and motifs just feel like smoke and mirrors? Why is no one reacting to the surprise ending you've worked so hard to craft?
It's not because these things aren't important. They are. It's because you're focusing on them TOO EARLY.
At the beginning of the process there's only one thing that's important: the profound journey your character is undertaking and the irrevocable changes in your character's life that go along with it.
Thematic ideas are not something you impose on your script. They're something you discover as you get to know your character. Story structure is not something you plot out before you've written a single word, it's something that reveals itself to you as your character's journey unfolds.
Until you figure out your character's journey, exposition will only slow your movie down, no matter how profound, exciting, or psychologically fascinating your character's past may be.
"But what about my outline?" you may be thinking. "I already know my character's journey!"
No way. Not likely.
If you think you already know your character's journey before you even sit down to write your character, it's probably not a very profound journey. How could it be? You don't even know who your character is yet! In fact, if you can predict your character's journey before you even start writing, the chances are the audience can too.
What could be more boring? Not only for the audience, but for you as a writer.
Your outline may make you feel safe, but great writing is not about painting by numbers. It's about stepping into your character, and taking a profound journey with her.
Kill your outline. Get to know your character.
Decide out what she wants more than anything, and enjoy coming up with the most exciting, challenging, and inventive ways you can to make it hard for her to get it. Ask yourself, what's the best or the worst thing that could happen at this moment? And see how your character reacts when it does.
Forget about exposition or setting up things for the audience. You'll have plenty of time for that later. For now, just let your character be herself, say what she would say in the situation, and do what she would do.
Forget about how it all fits together or what it all means. Instead just follow your character as she strives to get what she wants against impossible odds. Notice her specific behaviors. How she talks and acts differently than anyone else in the world. How she responds to things in unexpected ways. Notice how your dialogue suddenly feels more real and your characters actions more motivated and specific.
Notice how your character's journey reveals itself to you.
Notice how a big surprise you never saw coming seems to bubble up from nowhere, and actually surprises you.
Of course, this is only the first step. There will come a time when you do need to focus on your audience. When you need to set things up and pay things off, layer in theme, and hone your structure.
But not right now. Right now is the time to keep your focus on what's really important.
Trust your character.
Kill your outline.
ABOUT JACOB KRUEGER: Jacob's writing includes the screenplay for "The Matthew Shepard Story," which won the Writers Guild of America Paul Selvin Award, earned Stockard Channing an Emmy for Best Actress, and was nominated a Gemini Award for Best Screenplay. He is also a critically acclaimed director and creative coach.
Copyright (c) 2009 Jacob Krueger
Ready To Take The Next Step?
Sign up for a Screenwriting Workshop or Master Class with Jacob Krueger today and learn a new approach to screenwriting, in a supportive community of writers just like you.
More Information:
Web: http://www.jacobkrueger.com
It's no wonder that this happens. After all, these are the things that film scholars rave about and film studies classes teach- complex psychological portraits and deep thematic importance, screenplay structures, beat sheets and outlines.
So why do movies written this way so often come out flat? Why does it seem like nothing is happening, when the writer has put so much effort into building the psychological life of the character? Why do all the themes and motifs just feel like smoke and mirrors? Why is no one reacting to the surprise ending you've worked so hard to craft?
It's not because these things aren't important. They are. It's because you're focusing on them TOO EARLY.
At the beginning of the process there's only one thing that's important: the profound journey your character is undertaking and the irrevocable changes in your character's life that go along with it.
Thematic ideas are not something you impose on your script. They're something you discover as you get to know your character. Story structure is not something you plot out before you've written a single word, it's something that reveals itself to you as your character's journey unfolds.
Until you figure out your character's journey, exposition will only slow your movie down, no matter how profound, exciting, or psychologically fascinating your character's past may be.
"But what about my outline?" you may be thinking. "I already know my character's journey!"
No way. Not likely.
If you think you already know your character's journey before you even sit down to write your character, it's probably not a very profound journey. How could it be? You don't even know who your character is yet! In fact, if you can predict your character's journey before you even start writing, the chances are the audience can too.
What could be more boring? Not only for the audience, but for you as a writer.
Your outline may make you feel safe, but great writing is not about painting by numbers. It's about stepping into your character, and taking a profound journey with her.
Kill your outline. Get to know your character.
Decide out what she wants more than anything, and enjoy coming up with the most exciting, challenging, and inventive ways you can to make it hard for her to get it. Ask yourself, what's the best or the worst thing that could happen at this moment? And see how your character reacts when it does.
Forget about exposition or setting up things for the audience. You'll have plenty of time for that later. For now, just let your character be herself, say what she would say in the situation, and do what she would do.
Forget about how it all fits together or what it all means. Instead just follow your character as she strives to get what she wants against impossible odds. Notice her specific behaviors. How she talks and acts differently than anyone else in the world. How she responds to things in unexpected ways. Notice how your dialogue suddenly feels more real and your characters actions more motivated and specific.
Notice how your character's journey reveals itself to you.
Notice how a big surprise you never saw coming seems to bubble up from nowhere, and actually surprises you.
Of course, this is only the first step. There will come a time when you do need to focus on your audience. When you need to set things up and pay things off, layer in theme, and hone your structure.
But not right now. Right now is the time to keep your focus on what's really important.
Trust your character.
Kill your outline.
ABOUT JACOB KRUEGER: Jacob's writing includes the screenplay for "The Matthew Shepard Story," which won the Writers Guild of America Paul Selvin Award, earned Stockard Channing an Emmy for Best Actress, and was nominated a Gemini Award for Best Screenplay. He is also a critically acclaimed director and creative coach.
Copyright (c) 2009 Jacob Krueger
Ready To Take The Next Step?
Sign up for a Screenwriting Workshop or Master Class with Jacob Krueger today and learn a new approach to screenwriting, in a supportive community of writers just like you.
More Information:
Web: http://www.jacobkrueger.com
Monday, May 18, 2009
Orlando Hispanic Film Festival 2009 Call for Entries
The Orlando Hispanic Film Festival (OHFF) announced a call for entries for their 2009 Hispanic Film Festival held September 16th-20th.The festival is open to US and foreign films in five categories: Features, Shorts, Documentaries, Short Documentaries, and 3-D Animated Shorts. To be eligible, the film must include at least one cast or crew member of Hispanic descent or have a film with Hispanic-themed subject matter. All films submitted must be in the NTSC format, DVD-R, or VHS and meet the length duration requirements. Films submitted in Spanish are strongly recommended to have English subtitles and films in English, Spanish subtitles.
For further details about submitting your entry and deadline and fees, log onto the website at http://www.ohfilmfestival.com/. To submit your entry online go to WithoutABox at https://www.withoutabox.com/login/6177 or review the website for mailing information.
The 3rd Orlando Hispanic Film Festival is partnering with the Florida Media Market, a membership-based organization whose goal is to educate and build a platform where independent film & media makers meet with international buyers, distributors and production companies to buy, sell and network.
The Orlando Hispanic Film Festival is a competitive independent film festival and platform that recognizes Hispanic-cultured independent filmmakers from around the world.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
The Future of Hollywood Success Rests in the Hands of the Writers of the Future
With nine out of the top ten grossing movies of all time being speculative fiction--science fiction and fantasy--its no wonder that Hollywood's future is seen to reside with the writers of science fiction and fantasy, or more specifically the winners of the Writers of the Future Contest according to Dave Wolverton, screenwriter, NYT bestselling author and Writers of the Future Contest judge."The mentality is simple in Hollywood: if it makes money, you do it. And if it keeps making money, you keep doing it," says Wolverton from his home in Saint George, UT. "And for reasons that are very simple, science fiction and fantasy have proven time and again to be huge money makers." The top ten grossing movies of all time include from #10 up: Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King, Star Wars - Episode III, Spider Man, Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest, Star Wars - Episode I, Extra Terrestrial, Shrek 2, Star Wars, The Dark Knight and Titanic - and nine of these are science fiction or fantasy.
"All of the top-grossing movies of all time have one thing in common," Wolverton says. "They all take the viewer to another time, another place. People crave to be transported out of the mundane world into a place that is new and wondrous, and that is what speculative fiction does best."
Wolverton was the grand prize winner of the L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Contest in 1987 and has since gone on to publish over thirty novels, with several becoming NYT bestsellers. Due to his success, he later became a contest judge, a video game designer, and now has branched off into screenwriting.
With all this diverse experience now to his credit, Wolverton observed, "L. Ron Hubbard was a very prolific fiction writer during the 30s and 40s, and wrote several works that are classics in their field. Based on this success, he moved on to Hollywood. He worked as a writer for Columbia Pictures for the highly successful movie serial The Secret of Treasure Island and The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. And for Warner Bros., he worked with Norvell Page scripting The Spider Returns. So I find it very interesting that he created the Writers of the Future Contest, and that the legacy continues with writers like myself who are providing more material to feed Hollywood's voracious appetite for science fiction and fantasy."
Writers of the Future, now in its 25th year, is the world's largest and most recognized merit competition for writers of speculative fiction. Its over 250 winners have gone on to publish over 300 novels and 3,000 short stories. The latest edition, Writers of the Future Volume 24, showcases our latest stable of winners and can be found in Barnes & Noble, Borders, Walmart and Amazon.com.
Website: http://www.writersofthefuture.com
Friday, May 15, 2009
Second Annual Documentary Film Festival May 15-17
The Embassy of Brazil in Washington, D.C., in collaboration with the Smithsonian Latino Center, will present its second annual Documentary Film Festival from Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17.The festival, titled "II Reel Time Brazil", will feature three documentaries making their U.S. premier, as well as two documentaries making a D.C. premier. All documentary screenings during the festival are free and open to the public.
This year's five featured films illuminate Brazilian culture through stories of Brazilian poets, singers, songwriters and icons. The Brazilian Embassy has once again invited film directors and special guests from each film to speak with audiences about their experience in making the films.
This year's array of films includes:
Palavra (En)cantada (The Enchanted Word), a documentary that weaves together performances and interviews with singers, songwriters and poets to reflect the interplay between these art forms. Winner of the Best Documentary award at the 2008 Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival.
Pan-Cinema Permanente (Permanent Pan-Cinema), the winner of the 2008 "It's All True" Documentary Film Festival award, about the late poet Waly Salamao.
Panair do Brasil (Panair do Brasil), a film that revives the incredible story of the most important Brazilian commercial aviation company, whose history is intimately linked with Brazil's economic development and progress.
So Dez Por Cento e Mentira (Only Ten Percent is a Lie), a film that paints a revealing portrait of Manoel de Barros, one of Brazil's best-selling poets and winner of several literary awards.
Simonal - Ninguem Sabe O Duro que Dei (Simonal - No One Knows How Tough It Was), a film that provides answers to long-standing questions of the sudden disappearance of Wilson Simonal, one of the most successful popular singers in Brazil.
The opening night film will be presented at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. All other documentaries will be shown at the Greenberg Theater, on Wisconsin Avenue, NW.
This is the first year that the Embassy of Brazil in Washington, D.C. has teamed with The Smithsonian Latino Center for its annual documentary film festival. The research center is devoted to celebrating Latino culture, spirit, and achievement in America and advancing the knowledge of Latino contributions.
TO ATTEND:
Seats are on a first come, first served basis, and there is no need to purchase tickets for any of the shows in the series. The Hirshhorn Museum is located on Independence Avenue at Seventh Street SW. It is in close proximity to L'Enfant Plaza Metro station, on the Blue Line. The Greenberg Theater is located at 4200 Wisconsin Ave, NW, at the corner of Van Ness St. It is in close proximity to the Tenleytown/AU Metro station, on the Red Line.
The schedule of films is as follows:
"II Reel Time Brazil - a Documentary Film Week" Show Schedule
Friday, May 15
7:00 p.m. - 8:30p.m. The Enchanted Word (Palavra (En)cantada)
Ring Auditorium, Hirshhorn Museum lower level.
Saturday, May 16
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Permanent Pan-Cinema (Pan-Cinema Permanente)
Greenberg Theater
6:00 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Panair do Brasil (Panair do Brasil)
Greenberg Theater
Sunday, May 17
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Only Ten Percent is a Lie (So Dez Por Cento e Mentira)
Greenberg Theater
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Simonal - No One Knows How Tough It Was (Simonal - Ninguem Sabe O Duro que Dei)
Greenberg Theater
Monday, May 11, 2009
Build a Screenplay from the Ground Up by Kal Bishop
Use the Hero's Journey
The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon – understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.
The Hero's Journey:
* Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.
* Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.
* Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.
The Hero's Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.
Use Structure
Structure in its many forms, increases the quantity and quality of creative output. The golden rule is that originality emerges from structure:
a) Short term goals (incremental productivity) produce more output than a "do your best" approach. With specific regard to creative writing, writing four pages a day completes a words-on-paper first draft screenplay in one month. A "do your best" or "waiting for inspiration" approach can take months or years. Witness the untold number of people with unfinished manuscripts under their beds.
b) Simply being prolific improves performance and quality. The single best creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.
c) Simply being prolific improves performance and quality. The single best creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.
d) Structure helps clearly identify complex problems and triggers incubation. Problems incubate until answers become apparent. Incubation tends to result in richer insights.
e) Engagement increases the incidence and frequency of problem identification and thus the incidence and frequency of insight.
Creativity and Time Pressure
There are two contrary arguments: a) time pressure stimulates creativity and b) time pressure reduces creativity. Both are true.
There are a number of forces at work:
Time pressure increases creative output. By forcing idea production, setting goals and incremental deadlines, a greater number of ideas are produced than if a “do your best” approach is taken. If a leader asks participants in an idea generating session to address a problem and think of at least 5 ideas every half an hour, then 80 ideas are produced by one individual and 1600 are produced by 20 individuals at the end of an average working day. This level of output is conscious and would not be produced normally.
Time pressure encourages prolific production and therefore the probability of generating good ideas increases. It can be said with great confidence that quality of output is closely related to quantity. The best single creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.
Forcing output pushes individuals along the experience curve, refines their methodology, builds competencies and knowledge and improves performance. Screenwriters know that they are likely to produce more, better quality work faster if they set themselves a schedule of a certain number of pages per day.
Motivation is critical to creativity. If a person is intrinsically motivated, time pressure may be a synergistic extrinsic motivator. If the person is not intrinsically motivated then it may turn out to be a non-synergistic extrinsic motivator, which reduces the level of engagement in the endeavour.
Short-term time pressure can be negative in that it does not allow the mind to engage in the endeavour at various cognitive levels. It does not allow rich ideas to formulate through the process of incubation. Intrinsically motivated individuals will benefit from short term time pressure and goals (sets cognitive forces in motion) and will generate richer ideas through incubation over the longer term.
Academy Award Winner Best Film uses The Hero's Journey
The following SUMMARY uses Million Dollar Baby - Academy Award Winner Best Film 2005 as an example. It should be noted that there are two heroes in this story, a) Maggie and b) Frankie:
Call to Adventure - where the hero is pushed to resolve a challenge. Maggie needs to escape her White Trash roots and Frankie needs to resolve issues concerning his daughter.
Refusal of the Call - where there is refusal, resistance, warning and foreboding. Frankie refuses to train Maggie.
The Supernatural Aid - where a mentor encourages the hero along the path. Eddie (Morgan Freeman) begins to help Maggie with her training and simultaneously guides Frankie towards her. As is usual, the supernatural aid has a challenge of his own (Danger Barch).
First Threshold - where a point of no return is crossed. Maggie persists in the gym. There is no dissuading her or going back for her.
Physical Separation (Belly of the Whale) - where the hero physically separates from his Old World and heads into the Transformation. Willie leaves Frankie, who has little else to do but train Maggie.
Transformation (Road of Trials) - where the hero significantly, but not completely, transforms. Maggie becomes a professional boxer.
The Ideal and the Seizing of the Sword - where the hero faces a difficult choice and journey to (often) the heart of the antagonism. Maggie buys her family a house and Frank takes on the role of father.
Rebirth Through Death - where the Hero is reborn. Eddie saves Danger Barch from the gym bully; Maggie doesn't know what to do about the bear.
Atonement with the Father - where the hero confronts the obstacle to the apotheosis. Maggie loses to the blue Bear.
Apotheosis - where the hero has the illumination. Maggie should have listened to Frank and protected herself.
Ultimate Boon - both hero and heroine get a family.
Refusal of the Return - where the hero is repulsed by his Old Self or, on a practical level, there is refusal on some level. Frankie refuses to go back to the gym.
Magic Flight - where the hero attempts to escape from the antagonism or, for some reason, is unable to confront it. Frankie takes Maggie away and attempts to find doctors who can reverse the situation.
Rescue for Without - where the hero is pulled back toward his or her challenges. Maggie's family return; Frankie wants to replace them and resists their arrival.
Crossing the Return Threshold - where the hero confronts the antagonism. Maggie loses her legs and asks Frankie to kill her.
Master of the Two Worlds - where the antagonism is defeated. Frankie kills Maggie.
Freedom to Live - where the hero is freed from the antagonism. Frankie does not return to the gym.
The detailed, complete deconstruction and the Complete 188 stage Hero's Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/
You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.
Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/
The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon – understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.
The Hero's Journey:
* Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.
* Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.
* Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.
The Hero's Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.
Use Structure
Structure in its many forms, increases the quantity and quality of creative output. The golden rule is that originality emerges from structure:
a) Short term goals (incremental productivity) produce more output than a "do your best" approach. With specific regard to creative writing, writing four pages a day completes a words-on-paper first draft screenplay in one month. A "do your best" or "waiting for inspiration" approach can take months or years. Witness the untold number of people with unfinished manuscripts under their beds.
b) Simply being prolific improves performance and quality. The single best creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.
c) Simply being prolific improves performance and quality. The single best creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.
d) Structure helps clearly identify complex problems and triggers incubation. Problems incubate until answers become apparent. Incubation tends to result in richer insights.
e) Engagement increases the incidence and frequency of problem identification and thus the incidence and frequency of insight.
Creativity and Time Pressure
There are two contrary arguments: a) time pressure stimulates creativity and b) time pressure reduces creativity. Both are true.
There are a number of forces at work:
Time pressure increases creative output. By forcing idea production, setting goals and incremental deadlines, a greater number of ideas are produced than if a “do your best” approach is taken. If a leader asks participants in an idea generating session to address a problem and think of at least 5 ideas every half an hour, then 80 ideas are produced by one individual and 1600 are produced by 20 individuals at the end of an average working day. This level of output is conscious and would not be produced normally.
Time pressure encourages prolific production and therefore the probability of generating good ideas increases. It can be said with great confidence that quality of output is closely related to quantity. The best single creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.
Forcing output pushes individuals along the experience curve, refines their methodology, builds competencies and knowledge and improves performance. Screenwriters know that they are likely to produce more, better quality work faster if they set themselves a schedule of a certain number of pages per day.
Motivation is critical to creativity. If a person is intrinsically motivated, time pressure may be a synergistic extrinsic motivator. If the person is not intrinsically motivated then it may turn out to be a non-synergistic extrinsic motivator, which reduces the level of engagement in the endeavour.
Short-term time pressure can be negative in that it does not allow the mind to engage in the endeavour at various cognitive levels. It does not allow rich ideas to formulate through the process of incubation. Intrinsically motivated individuals will benefit from short term time pressure and goals (sets cognitive forces in motion) and will generate richer ideas through incubation over the longer term.
Academy Award Winner Best Film uses The Hero's Journey
The following SUMMARY uses Million Dollar Baby - Academy Award Winner Best Film 2005 as an example. It should be noted that there are two heroes in this story, a) Maggie and b) Frankie:
Call to Adventure - where the hero is pushed to resolve a challenge. Maggie needs to escape her White Trash roots and Frankie needs to resolve issues concerning his daughter.
Refusal of the Call - where there is refusal, resistance, warning and foreboding. Frankie refuses to train Maggie.
The Supernatural Aid - where a mentor encourages the hero along the path. Eddie (Morgan Freeman) begins to help Maggie with her training and simultaneously guides Frankie towards her. As is usual, the supernatural aid has a challenge of his own (Danger Barch).
First Threshold - where a point of no return is crossed. Maggie persists in the gym. There is no dissuading her or going back for her.
Physical Separation (Belly of the Whale) - where the hero physically separates from his Old World and heads into the Transformation. Willie leaves Frankie, who has little else to do but train Maggie.
Transformation (Road of Trials) - where the hero significantly, but not completely, transforms. Maggie becomes a professional boxer.
The Ideal and the Seizing of the Sword - where the hero faces a difficult choice and journey to (often) the heart of the antagonism. Maggie buys her family a house and Frank takes on the role of father.
Rebirth Through Death - where the Hero is reborn. Eddie saves Danger Barch from the gym bully; Maggie doesn't know what to do about the bear.
Atonement with the Father - where the hero confronts the obstacle to the apotheosis. Maggie loses to the blue Bear.
Apotheosis - where the hero has the illumination. Maggie should have listened to Frank and protected herself.
Ultimate Boon - both hero and heroine get a family.
Refusal of the Return - where the hero is repulsed by his Old Self or, on a practical level, there is refusal on some level. Frankie refuses to go back to the gym.
Magic Flight - where the hero attempts to escape from the antagonism or, for some reason, is unable to confront it. Frankie takes Maggie away and attempts to find doctors who can reverse the situation.
Rescue for Without - where the hero is pulled back toward his or her challenges. Maggie's family return; Frankie wants to replace them and resists their arrival.
Crossing the Return Threshold - where the hero confronts the antagonism. Maggie loses her legs and asks Frankie to kill her.
Master of the Two Worlds - where the antagonism is defeated. Frankie kills Maggie.
Freedom to Live - where the hero is freed from the antagonism. Frankie does not return to the gym.
The detailed, complete deconstruction and the Complete 188 stage Hero's Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/
You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.
Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/
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