Screenwriting

Fade In all the way. Though I backup each day to a Google doc, which is not formatted (copy and paste special), in case FI ever betrays me.

Hybrid. Word/Doc then FD.

I guess I'm a hybrid rebel, but I'm at a loss as to why that matters.

Team cloud

S P, I'm a member of Team Desktop...got a Power Mac that has a copy of Final Draft 6. (Hasn't let me down yet!)

Sean Patrick Burke I have had great experiences - you posed a question in the negative and I answered with what I believe to be the case via experience, discussions with others, extensive reading and dramas such as The Offer 2022. And many more. The processes used in movies/TV are much like what the high-end construction industry market looked like before we fixed a large part of it in the 90’s - that fix then influenced the entire market. I was and remain an analyst and architect of process and change.

Collectively, every project hits the same obstacles, over and over again. Those obstacles are definable - the fact that people think they are unique is a function of personally experiencing one of them. Current non-necessarily and non-deliverable working practices are not suited to current purpose and effectiveness of delivery, in the escalating market and its prolific demand. Sorry - Think Issacs ORIGINAL Two Foundations. The whole movies and TV universe had two foundations, and they are and have always been mostly at war. This war must end.

My two worlds which I always and in every way sought and desired must be separate - Complex Business/People/Processes- versus the joy of - Writing Books and Screenplays - have just collided.

Being new to all of this, character arcs seem to be where I struggle the most.

Mike, in your life you know more about character arcs than most people.

Sean the alignment point is the one most writers never hear. They assume the obstacle is quality. It usually is not. Plenty of good scripts never move an inch.

The real test is whether the script survives leaving the writer's hands. A producer does not sell the script itself. They sell a description of it to people who will never read every line. Financiers, talent, distributors. Everyone meets the story secondhand.

So the scripts that travel are the ones that can be carried. Easy to describe without going flat. One clear engine a stranger can repeat in a sentence and still feel the pull of it.

Most writers polish the script to be admired by a reader in a quiet room. The version that actually gets made is the one that holds its shape when someone else has to pitch it for you.

Curious whether you can feel that early. Do you read something and just know it will be easy to carry into a room.

Sean Patrick, I struggle with finding the right producers/directors/performers to champion things I've written.

A lack of financial resources sure doesn't help me, either: I once subscribed to IMDBPro...then things got to the point in my life where expenses need to face the axe.

GRRRRR!

Göran Johansson Urban legends are actually a strong fit for vertical drama. The format rewards stories that hook fast, escalate quickly, and leave the audience unsettled or surprised in under three minutes. That's basically the structure of a well-told urban legend already.

The fact that you've filmed some as 1-3 minute shorts means you already have instincts for the pacing. Vertical drama episodes run in that same range, so you're not starting from scratch on the storytelling rhythm.

With a collection that size, the play I'd think about is an anthology series. Each episode is a self-contained legend, but you build a world or a framing device that connects them and gives the audience a reason to keep swiping to the next one. Platforms like DramaBox and ReelShort are hungry for content right now, and horror/thriller/suspense skews well in vertical.

I'd say pick your ten strongest legends (the ones with the sharpest twist or the most visual premise) and develop those as a proof-of-concept batch. That's a much more compelling pitch than "I have 4,500 stories" because it shows you can curate and execute, not just collect.

Wonderful that you like what I wrote. I plan to use your advice as soon as possible. Many thanks.

Would the following be a good query letter (no, I have not yet chosen the examples to include) :

Dear producer,

Since you produce vertical drama, I suggest a series where every episode is a modern urban legend, followed by a comment about some problem in our society.

Including a comment about our society will show that you have a conscience. So the audience will feel that they promote the creation of a better world.

Please let me explain why I think this would be very popular.

I have produced a lot of no-budget projects for public access television stations in Sweden and the Swedish-speaking part of Finland. My short jokes became very popular. Short jokes together with comments about our society. The longest jokes were a few minutes long and based on modern urban legends.

Many of the jokes were related to a nutty psychiatric doctor. Around him, I created a TV mini series with four episodes, each 26 minutes long. His wife likes that he receives bribes. He drinks and visits prostitutes, so she beats him up. The jokes promoted human rights for people with a psychiatric syndrome.

After that I had another project with jokes about various problems in our society. This TV mini series consisted of five episodes, each 27 minutes long. Again it worked well.

In 2013, I received a prize for best directing, largely due to the nutty psychiatric doctor. He became so popular that from 2010 to 2016 I created five longer films about him.

In the enclosed pdf file, you find examples of what my jokes would look like if translated into English. It should be clear that production will cost virtually nothing. And every example is based on a popular story, plus a popular character. I used the name Adolf already when I filmed the first jokes with him in 2005 since he is as abominable as Adolf Hitler.

Yours sincerely,

Göran Johansson

This is an incredible, eye-opening breakdown, Logan. Thank you for sharing your experience. Your point about 'compression changing how you think about every line of dialogue' hits hard. I primarily write contained feature thrillers—like my current project, The Venice Glass House—where the tension relies entirely on dialogue economy, claustrophobia, and unspoken threats.

Reading your insight on how micro-dramas force an immediate, atomic unit of pacing makes me realize that thriller writers might actually have an easier time transitioning to this space than procedural writers do. If you have to hook an audience in 3 episodes (4 minutes total), every single syllable is a structural load-bearing pillar.

Quick question for you: When outlining a massive 70-to-100 micro-episode arc, do you find it's better to plan the cliffhangers first and reverse-engineer the scenes, or do you let the character dynamics dictate where the micro-breaks naturally fall?

Solid Goddess Thank you, and you are right about the thriller crossover advantage. The muscle of writing a scene where every line has to do structural work translates directly. Procedural writers are used to having a case engine carry them through slack beats, and vertical does not have slack beats.

On your outlining question, I do both but in a specific order. I anchor the paywall placement first because that is the one structural beat that has both a dramatic and a commercial function. From there I work backward to the pilot hook and forward to the season button, which gives me three fixed points. Then I let character dynamics dictate where the micro-breaks fall inside each segment. If you try to plan every cliffhanger in advance across 80 episodes, you end up with mechanically spaced tension that feels like a metronome. The breaks need to land where the character pressure naturally crests, not where a formula says they should.

For a contained thriller like yours, I would guess the claustrophobia actually helps. Fewer locations and fewer characters mean the emotional pressure builds faster per episode, which is exactly what vertical rewards.

From my experience, both collaboration and script consulting can be useful depending on where you are with your script.

I’ve used coverage and also worked with a script consultant before, and what helped most was getting consistent feedback on recurring issues rather than one-off notes.

The lounges here are also very helpful for specific questions when you’re stuck on something.

Experienced writers will brush off consultants. It's not because consultants are bad conceptually; it's just that most screenwriting consultants tend to be either failed writers or someone repeating a set of generic reductive rules like a grifting parrot.

Go into any community, and you will see a 'consultant' posting trite advice straight from the dummies guide to screenwriting, almost always in a dogmatic way, usually along the lines of:

Never use unfilmables

Exposition is the enemy

Formating is everything

Dialogue is about what's unsaid

Just freaking entertain me

While none of it is inherently wrong, it's always presented as live or die black and white facts with zero nuance.

In all fairness to their grift, screenwriters do lap it up and share it around.

They talk about 'tightening' and 'solidifying' and other wanky terms they can't actually explain.

They almost never have any credits or experience, but imply that they do. The gall of some is remarkable. There's one out there who used to have a section on her website titled "my movies", which turned out to be a load of story consultant credits on short films. There was a guy on here who claimed "some credits" and had one short film he'd made himself about someone jumping off the World Trade Center. I had one approach me on the old Amazon Studios forum nearly fifteen years ago, telling me I needed "professional notes," and they're still doing the same to this day on Reddit.

Most people don't actually need a consultant. They need to sit down and study the craft. Paying for coverage and then having a consultant address the issues is a complete boondoggle and seems at odds with actually just wanting to create.

We're going through a weird wave of bottom-feeding consultants spamming communities at the mo, possibly powered by AI. There are half a dozen on here posting on users' walls and leaving spammy comments.

Simply ask them for:

Their writing credits

Their development jobs

Their client success stories

That will filter 99% out.

On a lighter note, the screenwriting consultant trope was lampooned in The Lego Movie 2. When the character Rex Dangervest (who later turns out to be a fraud) is trying to impress Wyldstyle, he rattles off a resume of red flags in an attempt to impress her, which includes the occupation "Script Doctor".

Thank you all for the replies and thanks CJ Walley for the honest take. I come from a martial arts background where the most efficient way to address weaknesses is to work one-on-one with a good coach. In that arena, no amount of reading or studying film will ever replace proper coaching, so my natural instinct is go that direction. I've found some writers with legit credits offering consulting services that would probably be beneficial, but I think I'll hold off for now. I do have an advisor / SME for one of my projects and that's been great. For the time being I'll keep plugging away on my own and hopefully continue to improve.

That makes sense, but martial arts is almost completely objective, whereas the arts are almost entirely subjective. This is why a lot of the sports metaphors don't work.

Very few consultants are objective and craft-focused. From what I've seen, almost all of them are at an intermediate level at best. You're just paying for someone's opinion (with zero industry insight or experience) and for them to reel off a bunch of overly simplified rules that don't really apply.

The creative arts are a strange beast. Nobody really knows anything. The most loved films in history had many haters during development or just after release.

Good consultants do exist, but they are rare, and they don't troll forums looking for work. They know what certain prodcos look for and what makes a script commercially appealing in general - but it's still a crapshoot. Two that stand out here above all others are Phil Clarke and Danny Manus.

Hello and WELCOME! I would love to collaborate with you. please contact me at your convenience!

Warmly, Kim 323/320-1873

hey BL Gabriel I use Causality. it’s a monthly subscription but it has a lot of extra features if you’re into that. lots of brainstorming, integrated notes section, it’s easy to rearrange the sections of your story if needed.

it has some stuff I ignore but you can really nerd out on the details of you want. I like it.

Just go with Celtx if you're using Google Chromecast. However, if you have Microsoft, use Final Draft. It just depends on if you're feeling comfortable financially and emotionally.

The back-up service from FD is great and you only buy a version once.

Go with what gets the best out of you. For some, it's Final Draft. For me, it's Scrivener.

Just don't fight with FD because you're under the illusion it's the "industry standard".

I use dubscript and I think it's great. It's completely free and does formatting n other stuffs for you

Anything extensive which you write has automatic copyright under law if you are in possession of the original dated file.

hello sasandra sandra michelle

Two Words: COPYRIGHT EVERYTHING!!!!!! I’ve written 8 features and ALL have been copyrighted before the very thought of sending them out into the world of film festivals and competitions.

TODAY’S LESSON: PROTECT YOUR WORK.

That’s honestly solid advice, and I completely agree with you. A lot of writers pour years of creativity, emotion, and hard work into their scripts without realizing how important it is to protect everything before putting it out publicly.

And wow, 8 features is seriously impressive. That level of consistency and dedication says a lot about your passion for storytelling. It also shows you understand both the creative side and the professional side of the industry, which a lot of people overlook.

Protecting your work is just as important as creating it, especially when the stories carry real value and originality like yours seem to. Out of the 8 features you’ve written, is there one that feels the most personal to you?

It's madness to share a script around anywhere without registering it with the Library of Congress (LoC).

WGA registration is next to worthless on its own.

The first issue is entitlement to statutory compensation and the second is being able to fulfil a chain of title.

It's a $50 insurance policy.

Thanks Dwayne. I'll look into it. Can you explain, how you went about it? Blood & Moon looks like it'll be a great movie. Congratulations.

I write, write and rewrite my longlines, synopses and polish my scripts over and over. every Thursday I pitch every pitch request that comes through InkTip. I post shorts every two weeks. I joined Stage 32 and take advantage of every opportunity from both sites. I have 205 WGAW registered screenplays. I work at it constantly. some people get lucky by chance. The rest have to simplify keep at it. Keep grinding.

Grinding, Imma doing. LOL. It's getting to a point where I hardly have anything left to grind.

I have not any contract yet, but after learning screenwriting by doing plenty of no-budget filming, here is my current situation. One production company in Australia likes my script for a TV movie. Sweden's public service company and a Swedish production company both like my idea for a 5 hours TV mini series for children. So I try to hope that both will secure funding.

Five features now, two of which punched way above their weight. Last year, I got my first big contract. Now have a manager.

I was discovered through blogging and my personal website. I basically did everything aspiring screenwriters are commonly told not to do.

I thought I made my point but I can repeat it. You are presenting a story about country music performers. I know there is audience for that but I do not know how big it is and what these people who love country music like in a presentation. I am not a country music fan, I grew up in Southern California, there is a lot of music that people like here, but country music is NOT our thing. Sure it is available but nobody I know listens to it, it is just not their tradition for music, so I cannot really give you any advise on the product because I will probably never listen to it and neither will anyone I know, So California people are NOT your audience but I realize that there is a huge audience for this type of music, I am just not familiar with it, because it is foreign to me and everyone I know being that we grow up and still live in So California.

Elena, I'm familiar with country music demographics. I suspect you feel that Taylor Swift is not a country artist- she is. Your definition of country music may be a little confined- it's more than three chords and the truth. Some truly fine music has historically been created in the So Cal market- Brian Wilson's musical genius clearly shows in the Beach Boys albums. The contemporary mechanical music emanating from all 'round is a clear indication to me that we're de-evolving into the creative dark ages- same for film. I'll fight that trend until I die.

Great poster, but I find there are better ways of hiding AI, one is not to show faces, but a moment in the film that tells us more about the story. If the title wasn't on the poster, I would have thought this was a poster from A Star is Born. So I'd suggest finding the unique elements of the story and creating a poster from that. This is too common of an image and, like I said, very A Star is Born.

AI artwork tends to default to a flat brown mush unless told not to.

This can also be hidden by expanding the prompt to add specific colors that pop. The performers are both in dark clothes. The audience has no color when it could look like a quilt of colored clothes spread out before the performers. Even the spotlights are brown-hued.

Really good poster, Doug Nelson.

I look through dozens a day, and this is great.

It screams mid-west country, and the colors feel like a refreshing whiskey and Coke.

Just the right amount of content and presented ideally for the size format, assuming it's going to usually be a thumbnail on a screen.

This does the job.

The only nitpick would be the crowd, which is clearly repeating and far from diverse. Sadly, if you tell whatever AI you've used to generate it to address that, it will probably add three legs to one of the people on the stage.