This is my first post on Stage32, soooo, hello!
I'm deep into the second draft of my first 'earnest' attempt at writing a screenplay. I have several others in varying stages but this one says "fade out" and is being polished. So now I'm curious about something and would like to hear your thoughts.
I a...
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Hello Quinn -
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Thanks for that advice Dan Guardino and good question Quinn Butterfield.
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Your voice will not be lost.
There are no two words in the English language that mean the same thing, they come close, but never the same thing. If your character melts into a chair, they melt into a c...
Expand commentYour voice will not be lost.
There are no two words in the English language that mean the same thing, they come close, but never the same thing. If your character melts into a chair, they melt into a chair (sounds like summer in Sydney).
The most important thing I have learned from reading a lot of scripts. The more clever you try and be, the worse you look. People don't want to see your writing, they want to see your movie. Don't use words that send people diving for a thesaurus. That will instantly break their connection to your work. They should never look away from your pages.
The structure your story takes is up to you. Start at the end, jump around, tell it backward. If it works it works. If it doesn't, well... you know the outcome.
Readability is something completely different. I am reading a script for someone. It is nearly unreadable. It is a collection of words that read all interesting and spooky but mean nothing from a film point of view. It would probably be a better novel. It is not a story to be told visually.
Lastly, if you are going to do something unusual. I am a big fan. Do it well and you will look like a master. Do it poorly and you'll look like a gymnast that face plants. Don't try the backflip till you know you can stick the landing (that is correct, I have no idea about gymnastics).
Your voice is the screenplay, without you the story would not have been written. Unfortunately, if you plan on submitting your work to someone else to possibly produce it, then they will ultimately pi...
Expand commentYour voice is the screenplay, without you the story would not have been written. Unfortunately, if you plan on submitting your work to someone else to possibly produce it, then they will ultimately pick your script apart anyway. Reason being is that you had a vision to write the script, when the Director and or Producer gets the script they will adjust your vision on paper to line up with their vision for filming the story. In many cases if it is a big Production company your script will get up to at least 5 revisions before the first frame is filmed. So, unless you plan on filming your own script you must be prepared to accept the changes the Production Company makes. When you submit your script you need to be able to sell it to a Production company and negotiate whatever you can up front concerning the creativity within your script and just walk away (this is a harsh but true reality), unless you negotiate with the company to be a part of the Script revisions. I learned this myself while writing my first Screen Play. I hope this helps.