Some newbie Q's
Goro
newsgroup. Bravo to the people here, the Signal-to-Noise ratio is
INCREDIBLY high for USENET =)
I am a newbie screenwriter, looking for a little help.
I guess i'm not really a screen writer in that i don't really want to
make a living writing scripts(LOL!). The reason that i'm writing is
that (a) I hate most movies coming out of hollywood these days (i'm
mostly watching cool HK stuff and old Kurosawa films) and (b) I keep
having these extremely interesting (to me) ideas about stories/movies
that i'd LOVE to see. I keep playing these little movie clips (little
distinct scenes) in my head and now i've finally gotten to the point
where i have thrown down my ideas onto paper.
First, i wrote down all my ideas so as not to forget any of them (i
have about 17 distinct full stories listed). And i've plotted and
sketched out many of them, going as far as to scribble down particular
scenes that just burn in my head.
i'm now working on a full screenplay that just cries to me to be told.
it is a mid-to-big budget actioner. i have worked out the entire
plot, decided on the entire cast, their backgrounds, their attitudes,
the growth they are to show. i also came up with a number of (fairly)
innovative plot elements. what i hope to create is a very intense,
action film with explosively engaging action, combined with a
full-fleshed, non-caricature (almost slightly sympathetic) villain,
and a number of mid-level, 2ndary characters with heart, and topped
off with well-defined and evolving main char.
Now, here's my q's: ( that i haven't read already:) )
(1) Length. i'm getting about 10 pages a night so far and it looks
like this script is going to be quite long. But maybe i just don't
realize how long is long. So, how long IS long? 120 pgs? 200pgs?
(2) What if...
i create a script which has an amazing plot, good characters, great
twists and turns, which could carry a film.
but my actual dialog is not so smooth... i fear that i am better at
imagining and conceptualizing HOW it's supposed to go and HOW you're
supposed to feel rather than making the dialogue flow simply and
not-awkwardly/forcedly to evoke those points/emotions.
A: work on you dialog...yeah, i know, but even back in my Creative
Writing days, dialog has always been my weak point. anything else?
(3) Opening credits. Should you tell where they go? The only reason
i mention is b/c my script starts off with a big grabber/teaser scene,
then there's a place for intro credits, then the script proper
begins..kinda prologue + main setup. Can i write in OPENING CREDITS
or should i just leave it out?
thanx in advance,
-Goro-
bo...@earthlink.spamthis.net
wrote:
[snip a whole lotta stuff]
>Now, here's my q's: ( that i haven't read already:) )
>(1) Length. i'm getting about 10 pages a night so far and it looks
>like this script is going to be quite long. But maybe i just don't
>realize how long is long. So, how long IS long? 120 pgs? 200pgs?
Aim for no more than 110; 115 is passable, but anything over 120 is
too long. You asked, that's my answer, and I'm sticking to it.
A lot of folks write a whole bunch of stuff in the first draft (140
-180 pages) and then go back and streamline it in the rewriting
process. I'm not one of those people. My first drafts tend to be
short, so I'm going back and sticking stuff in when I rewrite. And
you will rewrite. Writing is rewriting. I don't who I stole that
line from, but it's true.
>(2) What if...
>i create a script which has an amazing plot, good characters, great
>twists and turns, which could carry a film.
>but my actual dialog is not so smooth... i fear that i am better at
>imagining and conceptualizing HOW it's supposed to go and HOW you're
>supposed to feel rather than making the dialogue flow simply and
>not-awkwardly/forcedly to evoke those points/emotions.
>
>A: work on you dialog...yeah, i know, but even back in my Creative
>Writing days, dialog has always been my weak point. anything else?
You've answered your own question. Work on it. One hint: try to make
your screenplay as visual as possible.. a movie is a visual medium..
but the folks that will be forced to read your screenplay (sorry,
that's the way it is) will skim over the direction and just read the
dialog. If your dialog sucks, you're screwed.
>(3) Opening credits. Should you tell where they go?
No. If you do, you'll mark yourself as a rank amateur and they
probably won't read much further. Isn't this fun?
> The only reason i mention is b/c my script starts off with a big grabber/teaser scene,
>then there's a place for intro credits, then the script proper
>begins..kinda prologue + main setup. Can i write in OPENING CREDITS
>or should i just leave it out?
Oh hell, write it and see what happens. ;-)
>thanx in advance,
>-Goro-
You're welcome! Hope I didn't disillusion you too much. Of course,
you can always say, ah what the hell does she know.. she's never sold
a screenplay....
Bonita
remove SPAMTHIS from e-mail address to reply directly
Steven Weller
Reading top to bottom:
1) Shoot for no more than 120 pages. Writing a screenplay is a little
like writing Haiku poetry - there's good Haiku and there's bad Haiku, but if
it isn't 4 lines and 16 syllables, it isn't Haiku. If you submit a feature
screenplay, cold, at more than the standard 120 pages, it's unlikely that any-
one will read even page 1. Fair? No, of course not. Are there longer screen-
pays that have been produced? Of course there are. But don't shoot yourself
in the foot before you start the race. Deliver the screenpay in the expected
form, if for no other reason than to demonstrate that a) you're familiar with
it, and b) you're willing to play by the (ridiculously arbitrary) rules.
2) Dialogue can be tough, and some people have a better ear for it than
others. The suggestion I always give is to have a table reading of the first
draft (nothing fancy, just some friends with a little acting background) to
get the words up on their feet. Once you hear them, you can hear WHERE they're
wrong, not just that they ARE wrong. While you're still writing that first
draft, try saying the lines out loud. If they sound awkward, play with them - out loud - until they sound better. If all else fails, think about a collaborator, but make that a last resort.
3) Go ahead and write a prologue, if that's a part of your script. But
openeing credits are part of the doaign of other artists. What you write
won't get used, and it will brand your script (right up there at the beginning)
as the work of a beginner.
Good luck.
--
Life Continues, Despite
Evidence to the Contrary,
Steven
Johnny Deadman
go...@mindspring.com.NOSPAM (Goro) wrote:
>I am a newbie screenwriter, looking for a little help.
[then goes on to define a very non-newbie script with lots of sussed
analysis]
>
>Now, here's my q's: ( that i haven't read already:) )
>
>(1) Length. i'm getting about 10 pages a night so far and it looks
>like this script is going to be quite long. But maybe i just don't
>realize how long is long. So, how long IS long? 120 pgs? 200pgs?
120 pages is the mark. 110 is fine. But there's a good feeling to having
exactly 120.
>
>(2) What if...
>i create a script which has an amazing plot, good characters, great
>twists and turns, which could carry a film.
>but my actual dialog is not so smooth...
Don't fret it. Whoever reads it will just say 'dialog needs reworking'. So
what? No-one ever turned down a great story because the dialog was shit.
Most dialog fails because it doesn't sound like real people. NB not how
people actually talk. The key to writing good dialog is to make sure that
each person reacts only to what they've just experienced/listened to. There
are good books on this that will help you.
>(3) Opening credits. Should you tell where they go? The only reason
>i mention is b/c my script starts off with a big grabber/teaser scene,
>then there's a place for intro credits, then the script proper
>begins..kinda prologue + main setup. Can i write in OPENING CREDITS
>or should i just leave it out?
Leave it out. If the structure is as clear as you say - and it's a very
standard way of opening a film - then it'll be bleeding' obvious where the
credits go. By leaving them out you don't annoy anyone: they just think
'cool - a prologue - we can put the credits here'.
--
John B