Screenplays

[raphy]

Any of you ever written a screenplay? I ask because I'm in the middle of writing one for something that I'm not allowed to give many details about (in my circle of friends it's known as the SSP - Super Secret Project) - But I've found that it's hugely different to my normal style of writing, and it's been a great challenge for me.

Luckily my stories are generally very dialogue driven, which helps - But without writing a Bladerunner-style cheesy inner-monologue I'm denied my favorite and biggest technique; the dichotomy of the 1st person/3rd person interchangable POV that permeates so much of cyberpunk.

I'm on about my 4th revision, working with the producer and director, and it's a really different experience.

 

[Chicklet]

...

i've watched my boyfriend write screenplays, but i've never written one myself.

 

[Seattle Zack]

I've flailed at it a few times, got frustrated, bought a bunch of books ....

I found what helped me the most is to buy a couple of screenplays, especially from movies you know really well. Reservoir Dogs is a good one, the version I got also included some deleted scenes and notes from Tarantino. Reading through the screenplay, especially while viewing the movie, helped me to understand a little better how the medium works. It is a difficult one.

--Z

 

[Guest]

Hombre, try zoetrope.com; great site for all types of writing help plus.

'dita

 

[Guest]

 

[raphy]

Zack, you're absolutely correct - I don't have the Reservoir Dogs one, but curiously enough, the one I found that's most helpful to me is the Pulp Fiction one - Maybe there's something about the way Tarantino writes his screenplays.

Rhino, that's actually a good point - I'm storyboarding this one as well (And doing all the CG effects and concept sketches) and the storyboards really help, especially with the set pieces.

I was just wondering if anyone else in AH had tried this - It's a very different way to write, because you're effectively only writing dialgue, with a very small amount of direction in it.

On the other hand, I tend to write in bursts, so writing scene by scene works out well for me. (not necessarily in chronological order)

Raph, wearing his scriptwriter and production designer hats at the same time for this one.

 

[Medieval-Man]

Me and my friend Dan when we were 16 wrote "Dude, where's my Keys?" But never got off the storyboard...it was going to be pretty good, maybe...

My advice follows everyone else's look at screen plays and take advice, usually helps a lot.

Cyberpunk... Cyberpunk... "The Roleplaying Game of the Dark Future", set in 2020? (Second edition that is)

I'm more partial to Shadowrun, or my own Futureistic game I am building... but yeah Cyberpunk is cooool

*with hugs to Raph for reminding my of die RPG games*
-Medi

 

[Lovepotion69]

Raphy,
I've taken video production and writing for the screen classes at Uni. Made some terrible video projects along with some decent ones. They were a blast to do though, and the best one was a martial arts comedy that my friend "forced" me to do. The crappy (but hilariously funny to make) were the parodies on various movies, adverts and seeing my then boyfriend in a tight silver miniskirt and short top. All with fake tits. He made an advert for washing liquid. Of course he looked ten times better in the skirt than I ever would. (After my friend told him to tuck in his malehood so there wouldn't be a weird bulge...)

Eh, ANYWAY. What I meant to say is that I'm currently working on a script styled story for Lit. It's definitely different, but I find it has been very interesting. The hardest part for me has been to stick to presentense. Keep slipping into past tense. It's a great way of practicing dialogue though.

PM me if you feel like it and I can send you a copy.

/LP

 

[raphy]

LP, I may just do that =)

Medi - Cyberpunk the writing genre, not cyberpunk the RPG. That said, I do know of that which you speak, although I personaly prefer Shadowrun as well.. I can wax lyrical about Gibson, Stephenson, Sterling and cyberpunk in general and I have done so in the AH before, so I won't do it again. PM me if ya want to know more.

Raph, currently running a horrendously complex shadowrun adventure for his poor, hapless players.

 

[Seattle Zack]

But without writing a Bladerunner-style cheesy inner-monologue I'm denied my favorite and biggest technique[/B]

An interesting thing I read about that particular feature in BR, the original version had no monologue. When Ridley Scott screened it for the suits they went nuts, saying no one would understand what the movie was about. Under protest, Scott got Harrison Ford to narrate the film. Ford did it in a dry, emotionless monotone, hoping the offputting style would cause the studio to reject the notion. Of course, they loved it, and that's the theatrical version. Strangely enough, the featureless narration actually works pretty well for the theme of the movie.

The director's cut has no narration, and a couple of extra scenes ... quite a different style to the movie.

--Z

 

[Icingsugar]

Iv'e never written a screenplay, but several plays for the stage.

Your main question seems to apply there too. And for the lack of ever present narrator... Well, I'd have to say that it is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders everytime I write a play as opposed to when I write a story text.

No mushing about with descriptions, intepretations and all that blues. Instead I can relvel in the smithing of interaction, the plot, the converstions. Bring forth the saying and doing, instead of the telling, if you get my drift. Characters springing to life, not by what a narrator tell you about them, but only from what they say and do. Letting go of the details and letting actors take care of the finer strokes is a rather special feeling.

The plays I write are mainly in the semi-serious comedy genre. I love a good, flowing chatty dialouge, and fortunately I know exactly the right group actors to take care of it.

If anyone elsae here have my opportunity, take it. Seeing one's words intepreted by other pepole is really bizarre, but well worth it.

 

[gauchecritic]

When I decided to start writing all I ever wrote were plays and one infamous (round here) attempt at a television screenplay.

Rejection slips by the hat-full.

Playwriting is a very freedom giving thing as TFCG said, you still have every character in your head along with every action and scene but you only have to write the interesting parts. You also have to convey everything literally by word of mouth.

Interestingly, one of the rejection slips I received for a stage play said it was too televisual. When I write just the dialogue I still 'see' it happening in my mind.

The few comedy sketches I wrote for a local dramatic group were excruciating to watch because they wouldn't let me direct and they did it all wrong.

Maybe that's why my stories on Lit. never get above 4.5. Because I'm not at the readers side to tell him/her that he/she is reading it wrong.

Gauche

 

[jfinn]

I've written a couple of screenplays, though I'm basically lazy and haven't tried to shop them yet. (I positively hate writing query letters.) I do write for TV, but usually only small stuff, minute scripts for promo's and host segments for movies.

There are a few basics though that I know. One is that you really need a good screenwriting program with the proper formatting and a way to track scenes, names etc. There are a bunch out there and some are really expensive, but basically they all do the same thing. I use Sophicles, which is pretty nuts and bolts, but it gets the job done and best of all it's cheap. Under 200 bucks on the net.

As far as the writing itself, I once read that a screenplay is the haiku of prose and that sounds about right to me. Every word must count and every description must contain only the minimum amount of information necessary to keep the reader informed. It's also imperative to keep in mind that what you don't say is as important as what you do. Think of the white spaces (and there should be plenty) as the area you're providing for your readers imagination to engage.

You have to make sure you keep absolutely on track when writing a script. You can't just sit down and write off the top of your head. Plotting is essential. I use 3X5's, one for each scene. I put them on a big corkboard so I can look at them. They work for me because not only can I change them easily, but I can also rearrange them to improve sequencing.

Virtually all screenplays are in three acts. The (brief) introduction of the dilema, the attemt(s) to solve it and the resolution. You can add a small prologue if you're so inclined, but it's best to keep it to three beats. To see how that works, rent five or six movies and count the acts. No matter what genre, you'll see this format.

There are a zillion sites on the net that talk about writing a screenplay, but some are a lot better than others. Zoetrope, as Perdita suggested is a great one to actually see screenplays, but the work is uneven. For an excellent overview of what it means to actually be a successful screenwriter, try the site Wordplay. It was started a few years ago by the screenwriting team of Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot (Shrek, Alladin, XMen etc). There is nothing better on the net for learning about the craft. Read the Columns section and don't miss the Forums. A lot of successful writers hang out there and they are most generous with their expertise and advise to the newby.

Along with the net there are hundreds if not thousands of books on the subject. My favorite and the one I keep coming back to even for my other work, is Robert McKee's Story. He not only explain's things I never could find answers to before, he also encourages and makes you actually want to sit down and write.

That's it, I could probably go on about story arc's and the off page story and finding the truth in the characters, but there are others (like the ones I've suggested) who'd do it much better and with the experience of success to back them up. Good luck.

Jayne

 

[raphy]

Wow, what a great post..

Thanks tons!

 

[TheEarl]

I've been writing quite a few television screenplays recently. They're all variations on a Mary Sue so most of the characters are fleshed out for me, but it has been something of a revelation for me. As anyone who's read my stories will know, I don't use that much dialogue and it is in fact one of the weakest areas of my writing. Screenplay writing has forced me to tell an entire story using very little but dialogue. Interesting exercise if nothing else.

I think the art is to get your characters talking to each other. If you can't get them to say what the audience needs to know naturally, then maybe it's not worth saying. But then again - I suck at dialogue.

The Earl

 

[Alex De Kok]

I love writing dialogue. Maybe I should try a screenplay. But not until I've finished with NaNoWriMo, lol.

Thinks: Must check out those links . . .

Alex

 

[Monazwx]

I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes to writing screenplays, although, I'm working on something now. Excellent info. jfinn, I would have never thought that there are so many levels and resources available for this.

My main question is, what's the difference between a screenplay and a play for the stage? Also, how does one get their hands on a scrrenplay that has been turned into a movie? (I gues that question is for Seattle Zack.)

 

[Seattle Zack]

Lots of screenplays are published after the movie is released, just check your local book store. Sometimes they're in the Writer's Reference section, but more likely in the Movies section.

Lots of reference books, like Screenwriting Tricks of the Trade or The Elements of Screenwriting have exerpted scenes from classic movies like Casablanca or Citizen Kane. Getting a screenplay from a movie that I knew by heart, had seen over twenty times, was the most help to me, though, because I could step outside the story and see how the writer crafted it.

--Zack

 

[Monazwx]

Thanks Zack.

 

[jfinn]

Also, how does one get their hands on a scrrenplay that has been turned into a movie? (I gues that question is for Seattle Zack.)

Zack's right, but there are also a lot of scripts available for free on the internet. A good place to browse is Drew's Script-O-Rama. It has both TV and Film scripts. You may find that some of them seem inconsistent with the finished product though because they're early drafts. Still, they give good insight in what a script should look like. There are other free sites too, but this is the one I see most recommended.

Another thing you want to be aware of is that there are two basic versions of screenplays. The first is the one the writer actually sold and the second is the production script, which includes stage direction and revisions by the director--and everybody else who could get their hands on it.

Screenwriters themselves never include stage direction in a movie script, in fact doing so is a big faux pas and a sign that the writer is a neophyte who hasn't done their homework on what's expected. So while it's fun to look at the second, the first is the one that really shows you how a writer develops story.

Hope this helps.

Jayne

 

[Guest]

FYI

http://www.breakingin.net/

http://cyberfilmschool.com/columns/deemer_26.htm

http://www.dailyscript.com/index.html

 

[Monazwx]

You guys are AWESOME!!!

So there really isn't any difference between a screenplay and a play for the stage then
since the stage direction is not included, right?

 

[jfinn]

You guys are AWESOME!!!

So there really isn't any difference between a screenplay and a play for the stage then
since the stage direction is not included, right?

I know zilch about the stage so I don't know what the differences, if any, are between the two. I do know that for TV and movies there's a difference, at least my screenwriting program sets it up entirely different for television with allowances for break aways etc.

The look of a movie script is very specific, very structured. The industry expects all scripts to follow exact specifications for spacing, caps, font, type size, margins... Hell, they even tell you what kind of brad to use to bundle the pages.(Three holes, but only one brad at the top--it should have rounded edges and be tucked in, there's also a size preference, but I forget what it is.)

A script should be 80-90 pages for action films, 110-120 for comedies and drama. Readers are so good they can usually tell the number of pages by the heft and they'll throw out anything over 130 pages unless it's from known talent.

They're picky, but then they get hundreds of scripts a week and this is one method they use to cull out the non-serious writers. My understanding is that the feeling is if you don't care enough to find out how to submit correctly then why should they care about reading your script.

Jayne

Jayne

 

[Monazwx]

Very interesting stuff Jayne.
I must look into this further.

 

[raphy]

I don't know about format, but I guess that there'd content differences between writing for stage and writing for screen.

Action shots, special FX, CGI are all tools of a TV/movie writer's toolbox that a stage writer doesn't have available to him.

You'd find it hard to stage a 3-mile car chase containing a running gunfight and Matrix-esque bullet time cinematography on stage, for example.