How to Write a Film Review by Jonathan Mason

Writing a film review can be fun and a way of giving your opinion about a film you have seen. It will also broaden your appreciation of films and help people from wasting money on a bad film. If you are lucky you might even get the chance to have your reviews published and get paid for it.

The stepping stones for writing a film review

Step One

Watch a film. Even if you think it will be bad. You don’t just want to see movies that you know you are going to like. How will you be able to compare the good and bad movies then?

Step Two

Write down some things to remember during the film or do some online research – www.imdb.com has a lot of information about most films. Write down the names of the stars, director, screenwriter and the year it was made. Note how long the film is and give it a rating.

Step Three

Take time to let the film soak into your brain. Think about it for a few hours and then begin writing. Let your appreciation or distaste wear off a bit so you don’t write too emotionally. At this time you should think about the set. Were the costumes well made? Were the characters believable?

Step Four

Who do you think this film is aimed at? Will this be enjoyed by children, university grads or is it a date movie? It is the general public who will be reading a newspaper review, not a group of film freaks wanting you to dissect every inch of a film.

Step Five

Start with the introduction. Most film review readers like to be entertained by the review, so think up a good line to hook the reader or a theme for your review.

Step Six

Start writing the review. Include the basic plot of the movie and cover the major events but do not give away the surprise ending. People want to know about the film but not told everything. You almost want to entice people to go if it is good and keep them away if it is bad. Movie reviews are typically 250 to 500 words.

Step Seven

Discuss relevant parts of the film. Include your opinion of the direction, script, actors and photography.

Step Eight

Writing a movie review is perfect for blogging

For more tips visit http://www.happymotivator.com/ for free writing advice

How To Market Your New Film by Nicholl McGuire

Whether you are a new screenwriter, producer and/or director, you may be looking for that one chance to make a difference in your life and the lives of other people, but Hollywood has said no to you.

That's okay, because more and more companies are coming out to support new filmmakers and you may be looking for them while they are looking for you.

The average Joe isn't interested in many of the movies that come out on the big screen like you assume. Instead, he is more interested in what is happening in his own neighborhood and his wife is just as interested. Why is it your family movie hasn't been shown at the local high school gymnasium, church or your R rated movie at the neighborhood bar? What about working with the owner of the neighborhood video store to get it in his or her store? Why don't we see fliers promoting your movie? How come you haven't bothered to employ your local college students to help you get the word out about your movie?

Some filmmakers have no professional affiliations and that causes many obstacles for them as well. How do filmmakers know how to successfully market their movies when they don't bother to put into action what they observe others are doing?

Twelve marketing strategies filmmakers are presently using in their marketing campaigns include:

1) Creating a website about their film.

Filmmakers provide a simple teaser that draws the viewer into the film wanting more than they cut it, leaving you wanting for more. Every site has contact information which is easily found and all links are fully functional.

2) Maintaining blogs about their film.

Everyday someone is posting something on the site related to the synopsis of the film, photographs, the company or individuals involved with the production, or some other related information.

3) Registering with social networking websites.

Whether they are adding friends, keeping the "about me" section current or discussing related topics to the film in the chat rooms, they are keeping communication live about their film.

4) Sending press releases to Internet and local media outlets.

Every local media outlet that bothers to print a press release has received something about the film whether it is a short, a poster, or something else that promotes their new film.

5) Distributing fliers to local movie, book and music stores.

The information is professionally designed and easily accessible in the store. Sometimes it is located next to those free neighborhood newspapers.

6) Purchasing email lists.

The filmmaker has an idea of who his or her target market is such as what gender, age group, background and general film interest of the person who may be watching the film. With this information he or she knows what kind of email list to buy.

7) Professional memberships related to the film industry.

He or she is networking with other people who may be able to assist him or her with the film. The bigger the circle the more opportunities to meet the right person or group.

8) Getting listed in internet movie databases.

The average Joe should be able to get online and find your movie in someone's database, if he or she can't find you somewhere, then you know you have a lot of work to do. Try this, type the name of your film in the search engine window, if it doesn't show up on the first page, this is a good indication that you haven't been doing a good job marketing it. Find someone who can write an article about you, your company and the film. Then have an article distribution service distribute it to other article websites (this tactic is called article marketing.) Once you get this done, watch how easy it will be to locate information about your film online when someone searches for you.

9) Hosting screening parties.

No more partying for the pure joy of it, filmmakers use every opportunity to party as a way to get their film out there. Change the typical way you host parties.

10) Uploading movie stills to photography sites.

Look at what other filmmakers have done with this, just type in an independent film you really like and see what kind of presence they have on the photography site.

11) Uploading trailers to video sites.

Once again, see what your competitors have done with this, then go to a site that offers books on the subject rather than visiting someone's freebie site. You will want to get the instructions on doing this right the first time. Wasted time is money lost, learn from professionals.

12) Offering freebies such as t-shirts and posters advertising their film.

People love free stuff, so if you can give things away related to your movie, do it, in time you will get something in return for your efforts, fans!

All of these tactics take time to implement. Take a task each day from this list and work on it until you have completed all twelve. Once you have finished these duties, start looking for other ideas you can accomplish within a certain deadline you have set for yourself. Without a deadline, you won't get anything done. To your success!

Nicholl McGuire, Freelance Writer & Blogger, for more information visit http://audiovideobooks.blogspot.com/

Writing Straight to DVD Movies by Zinn Jeremiah

Screenplay is a reference to a script for full-length movie. In times past, full-length movies were always distributed to and shown in movie theaters. There's a new strategy, however, for any number of produced full-length movies, and that strategy is bypassing movie theaters completely, and instead being distributed as a home rental DVD.

One of the benefits of straight-to-DVD releases is a reduction in marketing costs. Marketing costs for a theater release film are not at all insignificant. A marketing budget for a film being shown in theaters can reach thirty million dollars without much difficulty, and can go far higher than that.

Consider that virtually every theater release film is advertised in some form of print media, and often on television as well -- mostly at so-called prime time hours, where the greatest reach occurs but where costs are also highest. And costs for television advertising can be astronomical. The cost for a Super Bowl ad is at the million dollar level. Given such a scenario, it's easy to see how a prime-time television show with good market reach could mean an ad spot cost of three hundred thousand dollars or more.

The straight-to-DVD film can spend on advertising, but it's not especially typical. In most cases the main form of advertising for a straight-to-DVD movie is its box cover. The DVD box cover sits on a shelf in a video franchise store, customers walk past, see the DVD box, make some form of a choice about the film, and make a purchase or not. This is why having a name actor can be critical to a straight-to-DVD's commercial success: the name actor serves as a selling point, and will be always featured prominently on the DVD box cover. This sort of leverage makes for potential profit points in addition to a salary.

The screenwriter for a straight-to-DVD production will likely see no profit points, and will receive a lesser salary than the screenwriter writing for a major theater release film. This should not be seen in a pessimistic light. Writing a script for a straight-to-DVD release that has a good amount of push behind it will generate a pay of tens of thousands of dollars, at least. It will also count as project experience, and having project experience counts for a great deal in Hollywood.

Writing a screenplay for a straight-to-DVD release is also an introduction to the straight-to-DVD industry. Straight-to-DVD movie production is a profitable industry, and the only proof one needs of this is that straight-to-DVD movies continue to be made. The bottom line in the entertainment industry is profit, and if there's no profit to be made, no product will be made. The writer who writes the script for a straight-to-DVD film is a member of a profit industry, and gets access to all the perks that go along with that.

Zinn Jeremiah is a freelance writer. Read more of Zinn's work at article exchange. Find resources about screenwriting at screenplay writing.

How Do I Sell My New Screenplay? by DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson

When new screenwriters finish their scripts, they often begin the search for a rep to submit the work around town. But is that the best way to do it? Well, sure! But it's not the ONLY way to do it.

As you prep to get your script sold, incorporate this info into your marketing strategy:

SEEK REPRESENTATION

But only if you have a bona fide "in" to their direct office line! It's very difficult to get a lit agent to read a script for representation without a personal introduction by a repped client of theirs. If you know a screenwriter or other industry member with an agent who actually is getting scripts read by real studios and funders, and you have TWO solid scripts (more on that later), ask for an introduction. Give your contact a substantial gift whether you are signed or not!

Of course, it's not necessary to have a lit agent to shop a script. Make getting an agent only one part of a broader shopping strategy.

EXPLORE LEGITIMATE SUBMISSION OUTLETS

The main places you're trying to get your script to, production companies, studios and even top-five actors' shingles, are sometimes more accessible than lit agents. If you're not already, make sure you join professional writers' groups like ScreenplayLab and Scriptwriters' Network, and attend every possible event to make those contacts. There's a list of organizations to get you started at Movie in a Box - Links.

Again, the way to shop a script in our industry is to know someone. It's tough to open a new professional relationship by asking for the considerable favor of an agent referral, so try a strategy where you're offering something they could use in exchange for the introduction (like Web site design, database entry, etc.). And expect them to request to read your script first - and listen to their notes without argument.

Another credible outlet for getting your script noticed is via some of the online sites. If you're not already, make sure you're active at Inktip, for example. And be sure to explore the hundreds of screenplay competitions, like Scriptapalooza - but check first to see what success stories you can verify from their sites.

WRITE AND QC MORE THAN ONE SCRIPT

"QC" stands for "Quality Control." Do not ever submit a script that is not structurally sound, no matter how ready you are to stop looking at it! This is neither a judgment, an assumption, an insult or a joke. It truly is a requirement. I was a reader at one of the biggest prod cos in Los Angeles, I've had scripts optioned, I run a filmmaking seminar, I've taught at UCLA Ext, I've written a very popular screenwriting book. Please trust me on this. There are no second chances for first impressions in our industry. And it's not just your rep on the line, but also the rep of whoever opens that door for your submission.

Why "more than one script"? That is because if someone reads work of yours and thinks you have promise, their next request (to confirm the initial impression) is very often, "Can you send me another spec?" If you can't, that is by no means a dealbreaker. But if you CAN, and the second script is equally hot, that could be a dealmaker! The second script needs to be structurally sound, as well.

Be sure that your screenplays are structurally solid (on a first submission, nothing else will do! Trust me!). Be sure that an experienced Hollywood reader has read the script and you've addressed the notes. As I always say, "if the story does not fit, you must not submit!" If you submit a flawless first spec, you will never have to live up these standards again, but you should. If you submit a flawed first spec, you will not get the chance to live up to higher standards at that company; you will be blocked from future submissions.

CONSIDER PRODUCING YOUR WORK YOURSELF

If you find you are getting great feedback on your work, but it's never quite the right fit, consider producing the film yourself. This is a great approach when you have a lower-budget indie project (think "Open Water") versus an effects-laden thriller! It is an enormous undertaking to produce a film, but there are many resources out there for people who have compelling scripts to develop. And just as you studied and trained to write well, be sure to research and train extensively before taking on a massive project like producing a movie. Your first stop should be a professional organization like Film Independent (FIND), which can connect with you with terrific partners and/or mentors, as well as vital resources. Look into comprehensive seminars like Movie in a Box, as well.

However you decide to get your screenplay sold, it should be clear by now that you don't do it alone - you need community support and resources - and no one else does it for you - even an agent! It is no one's responsibility to open a door for you to sell a screenplay. It is your responsibility to create a tight script, research appropriate buyers, and relentlessly seek submission opportunities until someone buys - or you decide to produce your work yourself!About the Author:

Learn more about how to sell a screenplay from DMA's industry guide "The 1-3-5 Story Structure Made Simple System: The Nine Essential Elements of a Sellable Screenplay," or attend her one-day, comprehensive filmmaking seminar, "Movie In a Box." DMA is a former film story analyst who is now the executive producer of Tidal Wave TV, a new media and reality TV production company in Los Angeles.

For DMA's national speaking schedule and more insider resources for breaking into Hollywood, please visit Planet DMA. It is our goal to mentor you through your career in entertainment!

Scriptwriting - Generating a Winning Idea

Every year thousands of screenplays are written and only a handful are bought. If you are an aspiring screenwriter who has not yet been able to sell material to Hollywood then your problem may be your screenplay’s storyline. A marketable story needs to offer the audience strong characters, a unique storyline, a format that fits the requirements of a particular genre, and it needs to be developed fully.

Generating a Winning Idea Step 1: Select a Genre

Most of the screenwriting literature available on the market today recommends that novice screenwriters focus their writing on a single genre. This does not mean that you have to only write screenplays in a single genre. What it does mean, however, is that each screenplay that you write should easily fit into one genre category. As your writing gains acceptance in Hollywood, you will be able to mix things up and create multi-genre scripts, but for your first sell, try to keep your story focused on a single genre.

Generating a Winning Idea Step 2: Watch Recent Releases

Staying on top of what is being produced is important to your story’s development. You want to incorporate popular story trends into your screenplay without duplicating what has already been produced or optioned. The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are two trade publications that can help you stay in touch with what is selling.

Generating a Winning Idea Step 3: Gather Ideas

There are a lot of places that you can get story ideas from. Newspaper headlines, listening to people talk, your dreams, and your personal experiences are all great sources. To find a story idea that can be developed you may need to play around with notes that you have made about your observations. When you look at a possible story idea think about how that story idea can be developed to create a completely unique story that will attract people to the movie theaters.

Generating a Winning Idea Step 4: Organize Your Ideas

Now that you have several story leads your next step is to start developing a single storyline. To do this you may have to develop several storylines before you find one that will work for your screenplay. Brainstorm possible connections the story idea could have to current events, to potential characters, or to other story ideas. If you hit a stumbling block during the story’s development then you may want to put it aside and work on another storyline.

Generating a Winning Idea Step 5: Develop the Main Characters

Once you have a story idea you next need to develop your main characters. These characters should be memorable, they should have a specific function in the story, and they should be tied to the main theme of the story. The characters that you will need to develop during this stage of your screenplay’s design include the protagonist, the antagonist, and a couple of the supporting characters.

Generating a Winning Idea Step 6: Outline Your Idea

In this step you will want to start outlining the key events of your story idea. This will help you determine if your story idea has legs to stand on its own or if you need to scrap it and try a different angle. During this step you will want to make sure that you plan for the key components of your selected genre. If you don’t know what those components are then you will want to read up on that genre, watch films in that genre, and develop your understanding of your genre’s story expectations before you proceed any further.

Generating a Winning Idea Step 7: Have a Conversation With Yourself

The final step is to talk to yourself about your story idea. Ask yourself questions about the structure and flow of the story. For example ask yourself if there is a better way to set up the action in the story, and ask yourself about the set up and execution of the plot points in the story. By talking your way through your story line you will be able to engage your mind into actively participating in the development of your story. This is also a great way to identify story weaknesses.

The Intellectual Property Association (http://www.intellectualpropertyassociation.com/) is dedicated to assisting our members protect and promote their creative works.

The Path to Getting Your Screenplay Sold by Hal Croasmun

One of the most asked questions in screenwriting is "How do I sell a screenplay?"

Over the last 10 years, I've interviewed many produced screenwriters and they all went through their own version of the following steps as they made their first sale.

Those steps are:

1. A well-written script that is marketable.
2. A pitch.
3. A market.
4. An "in" into the market.
5. A negotiation that leads to a sale.

Of course, each of those steps can be fulfilled in many ways. My purpose in presenting this article is to help you easily recognize opportunities when they arrive and quickly surmise what might be stopping you from succeeding.

Let's look at some details on those five steps.

1. A well-written script that is marketable.

To write a great script, you need a great story and a fresh voice that is entertaining to read. It takes a combination of passion, skill and creativity. But there is another side that needs to be there...

Basically, you are bringing a product to a market. If you want the market to pay you for it, you need to make sure the product meets their needs. In this business, that translates into a marketable concept, castable parts, and great writing.

If you really want to be successful as a screenwriter, you need high marks in both the artistic side and the business side. The more of a master you are at both "arts," the better your chance of having a true breakout career.

KEY: If you want to sell, design your script to be as attractive as possible to the decision makers in the movie biz.

Amazing lead characters will attract top actors. High concepts will attract producers. Great writing will satisfy readers. Do all three and you have a winner.

Remember, the script is your product. If that script is amazing, then people will want to do business with you. This is a choice that you have 100% control over -- WRITE TO ATTRACT.

2. A pitch.

What is a great script without a great pitch? A writing sample.

You've spent six months writing your script. You've agonized over the characters and their story. You've rewritten some lines of dialogue twenty times. Now, it is worth it to create a great pitch.

The whole purpose of a pitch is to get your script read. Usually, your marketing materials consist of a logline, synopsis, and One Page, but there is an important distinction you need to make.

Your pitch needs to present your story in the most compelling way possible. They need to create a strong desire in your reader or listener, and ultimately cause them to demand the right to read your script.

Believe it or not, your pitch can cause agents, managers, and producers to pursue you...if it is a great pitch.

KEY: Find the hook in your story.

The hook is the most interesting, unique, amazing, intriguing, or fresh part of the big idea for your story. It is the thing that will intrigue potential buyers and cause them to demand the script. The right one or two-sentence hook will have more impact than a five minute pitch.

If you find the right hook, it will give you enormous power when you need it most -- when you are face to face with a producer.

3. A market.

There are many different markets in this business and each of them has their own needs. In general, there are markets based on budget -- extreme low budget, low budget, mid-range budget, and high budget. There are markets based upon venue -- TV, Cable, straight-to-DVD, Theater, etc. There are markets based upon funding source -- government funding, private funding, grants, etc.

Also, there are new markets opening up -- Web movies, cell phones, and others we haven't even discovered, yet.

Now, here's the key. Look at your script, determine the best market for it, and get to know that market. What do they already make? What size budgets? What level of special effects? What limitations are on them? Etc.

Understanding your market will help you present your script in a way that makes sense to them. It will also make it easier for you to become an "insider."

KEY: The "right market" will match your script.

You are looking for the perfect market for your script. This is where a lot of writers mess up. They are looking for glory or status or to win the lottery, but they've written a script that is perfect for a low budget market. Rather than beat your head against the Studio's gate, go find the market that will love and honor your script.

Then write another script that matches the market you want to be in.

4. An "in" into the market.

Somehow, you need to get in the door of your market. The traditional route is to get a low-level job and work their way up, looking for opportunities as they go.

Another way is to find an "in." That person could be an agent, manager, producer, director, actor, assistant, or anyone else who has contacts. Getting that "in" is just a matter of finding people, pitching the script, having them read it, and most important, having them fall in love with the work.

In reality, you may find the one contact that will champion your work and get you a deal...or you may have to find twenty champions. You want to keep building fans of your writing until you are safely inside the business.

KEY: If you've done the first three steps well, you will be welcomed by people who have connections in your market.

Why? Because you are bringing them a great script, a great pitch, and both fit their market well. What more could they ask for?

Of course, the better your writing and pitch, the easier it is going to be to establish yourself with the players in your market.

5. A negotiation that leads to a deal.

There are two kinds of writers -- those who have representation and those who negotiate their own deals. Obviously, it is much easier to have an agent negotiate on your behalf. But there are other alternatives. You can hire an Entertainment Attorney. Or you can negotiate on your own.

If you are working with a small production company, there may not be funds up front, which means you'll likely be doing the negotiation on your own. Don't worry. Just keep focused on making the deal.

That may sound obvious, but newcomers to this business are often trying to score the "million dollar sale" when the market only gives that in about 2% of the cases. Of course, those make the news and then everyone jumps in demanding "their right" to the big money.

More important than money is the credibility a sale will bring you. It puts you in the clubhouse. It says you belong in this business. It opens doors. It gets you meetings, where you pitch your next project that will make you even more money.

KEY: Make sure you keep both parts of this step in mind...

1) A negotiation... 2) that leads to a deal.

When you negotiate, make sure you get the sale. All other items are in a lower category. I've seen writers demand all kinds of crazy things -- Associate Producer title, million dollars, be on the set, meet with the star, final edit approval on the movie, back end points, etc. and most of them lost out on their chance at success because of a little greed. Don't do it.

REMEMBER, you need to get that first sale in order to get on the inside of this business. That is your ticket into the show. Once you have your ticket, you will get many perks. But you don't get any of them without a ticket.

For most people, selling a screenplay is a dream come true. It takes you behind the scenes, gives you the opportunity to do what you love -- and get paid very well for it. It gets you on the Red Carpet at the premier of your movie. And for some, it catapults you into the spotlight to enjoy a little fame.

You know the path, now. Follow it.

Hal Croasmun is a writer/producer who has helped screenwriters break into Hollywood. He's the author of "33 Ways to Break into Hollywood" and runs http://www.scriptforsale.com/ which has articles, interviews, and online videos to speed up the process of becoming successful as a screenwriter.

Filmmakers Academy to Explore Science Fiction Movie Phenomenon

Christian filmographers will take a detailed look at the widespread cultural impact that Science Fiction has had through film during the Fourth Annual Christian Filmmakers Academy (CFA) to be held January 5-7 in San Antonio, Texas. Following a year that saw Science Fiction movies account for 2.5 billion dollars of the 3.7 billion grossed by the top twenty films in the US, the CFA faculty will break down the great science fiction films of the past, even as they cast a vision for how Christians can rightfully employ this genre in the future.

"In 2008, Sci-Fi rocketed out of the basement to become a sci-cult phenomenon that is significant to the cultural history of the United States," noted Doug Phillips, founder of the Christian Filmmakers Academy. "And movies are just the tip of the rocket. Fictional science in the billion-dollar video gaming, computer gaming, comic book and cable TV world is changing the thinking of an entire generation."

The "Symposium on Science Fiction and Christian Filmmaking" will focus on the theology of Science Fiction, analyzing how the worldview conveyed through Sci-Fi films has shaped cultural priorities.

"Sci-Fi movies of the last fifty years have provided America with more than Hollywood entertainment," Phillips remarked. "The popular genre has been responsible for persuading American thrill-and-chill-seekers that fictional speculation is reality -- especially in regard to the creation of the universe, life on earth, and the 'certainty' of extraterrestrial life."

The Symposium will examine this remarkable transformation of fiction into perceived "fact" and explore ways Christian filmmakers can reestablish responsibility in the genre and more carefully and truthfully examine the topics of Creation, time and eternity, the human soul, and the grand potential of science and technology.

"A filmmaker's worldview may be more clearly seen in this genre than any other," observed Geoff Botkin, senior faculty member at the Academy. "When he addresses the future, we know exactly what he thinks about man, God, philosophy, and time. When he addresses the moral challenges of technology, we know what he thinks about right and wrong. Some creators of Science Fiction find it a great vehicle to articulate their most serious ideas about politics, God, and social theory."

The Symposium will trace the history of the genre and the literary sources of its influence and then analyze its impact on American life, thought and culture. Filmmakers will learn ways to approach and use the genre sensibly and maturely.

The Christian Filmmakers Academy, a project of Vision Forum Ministries, is a technical bootcamp for aspiring culture-changers to be held January 5-7 in San Antonio, Texas. Students will learn principles of scripting, casting, writing, directing, and marketing a Christian film -- along with intense Christian worldview instruction. Each year, Vision Forum also hosts the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival and Jubilee Awards which showcases the best in Christian films. This year's festival, to be held January 8-10, will award a $101,000 grand prize -- the single largest cash award given by any film festival in the US.

Website: Christian Filmmaker's Academy, visit www.independentchristianfilms.com.