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11-08-05:I just joined a film making goal setting group on yahoo and I added a new link to a website in the OTHER RESOURCES section of the site.

 

 

Screenwriting Tips:

 

Former Brady Bunch Star Hosts Live Sketch Comedy Charity Benefit
Former Brady Bunch Star Hosts Live Sketch Comedy Charity Benefit Barry Williams who starred as Greg Brady on the "Brady Bunch" will be hosting this year's
 
Re: Is your script finished and ready to sale?
... let me look it over and make SURE it is ready.  Visit http://scripttoolbox.com/services.htm to give your script the best chance of avoiding the rejection
 
Is your script finished and ready to sale?
Before you send it out to film studios and management agencies, let me look it over and make SURE it is ready.  Visit http://scripttoolbox.com/services.htm to
 
Is your script finished and ready to sale?
Before you send it out to film studios and management agencies, let me look it over and make SURE it is ready.  Visit http://scripttoolbox.com/services.htm to
 
thank you...
TO: POOR MARQUS AND LILLY BEANS. Thank you for your encouragement and support. Your lengthy resumes and credentials can only help to boost your egos.
 

 

What is screenwriting?
If you are going to learn how to write a screenplay, you must first know what screenwriting is. Simply put, it is the art of writing scripts for a visual medium. Unlike a play where the action is "talked out," the action within a screenplay is "acted out" visually. The old saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" was never more appropriate in relation to screenwriting. Having had the benefit of reading many screenplays as a reader, one of the most annoying, teeth grinding, nails against a chalkboard, signal of bad screenwriting is when the reader is told something instead of shown something. For example, I can't put a number on the amount of screenplays I've read with descriptions like this:

 

"JOHN enters the room. He is Frank's best friend and the life of the party."

 

OK. We, the readers, are suppose to know this because the writer said it? What makes matters worse is when, right after making this statement, the character of John engages in an activity or line of dialogue not even remotely associated with his "life of the party" description. In a movie script, the writer should introduce every action and/or character the same way the movie goer will be introduced to them on the screen. Now compare the above introduction of John to this one:

 

"As Frank makes his way through the crowd of people at the house party, his attention turns to where the loudest commotion is coming from. As he enters into the living room we see his friend JOHN surrounded by hoops and hollers, dancing on a table while a beautiful topless blond sits on a chair receiving a lap dance from him."

 

Get it? Now doesn't this get the point across visually that John is not an introvert? In screenwriting you must always check to see if what you are trying to get across is being transmitted visually at all times. Not to downplay or trivialize dialogue, but no matter if the movie you are watching is good or bad, you can watch a movie on cable, turn down the volume, watch the movie from beginning to end with no sound, and know exactly what the movie is about. Why? Because a screenplay has to be VISUAL or else the movie will not be made. To show you just how important visual writing is, some writers do not write a line of dialogue until the structure and flow of the action is completed from beginning to end. They write the dialogue last because when they go to each scene, know what the scene is for, and what will happen in the next scene, they will be able to write in context.

 

How NOT to write a screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make , by Denny Martin Flinn, is probably the first book you need to read if you want to know not only how a good screenplay is NOT written, but also the mindset of the Hollywood script reader. This is important because if you don't impress the script reader, the person the people with the money use to filter out the good from the bad screenplays, no one else will see it. You may not write a great script after reading and applying the wisdom within its pages, but you will not write a bad one.

 

On the flip side if you want to know HOW to write a screenplay, look no further than Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, by Syd Feld. I personally recommend this book because not only is Mr. Feld known as "the father of structure," but he deals specifically with the art of screenwriting and less with the business of the movie industry. No need to rush..that part will come later. The Screenwriter's Workbook is another book by Syd Feld and the companion book to Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting.

 

500 Ways To Beat The Hollywood Script Reader: Writing the Screenplay the Reader Will Recommend by Jennifer M. Lerch concentrates on how to make your screenplay enjoyable to the Hollywood reader and literally gives you 500 ways to avoid having your script scrapped by the reader and passed on to the people who can bring your idea to life.

 

The Screenwriter Within: How to Turn the Movie in Your Head Into a Salable Screenplay by D. B. Gilles and How To Write A Movie in 21 Days: The Inner Movie Method by Viki King are two other books I personally recommend. Both of these books deal strictly with the screenplay itself and less with the movie industry. Trust me, you will have plenty of time to deal with that hurdle once your final draft is completed.

 

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For related books on Screenwriting...
How to Write : A Screenplay By Mark Evan Schwartz

 

How to Write a Screenplay By Christopher Keane

 

How NOT To Write A Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make By Denny Martin Flinn

 

How to Write a Selling Screenplay: A Step-By-Step Approach to Developing Your Story and Writing Your Sceenplay by One of Today's Most Successful Screenwriters By Christopher Keane

 

How to Build a Great Screenplay By David Howard

 

RELATED SCREENWRITING ARTICLES:

 

Screenwriting Articles

 

The Myths of Writing: Have You Bought Into These?

 

Got a Great Idea for a Movie? You Could Make Millions

 

Incremental Productivity

 

Good Ideas for Stories

 

Creative Thinking versus Critical Thinking

 

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Film Industry Updates

 

'Mamma' still super overseas
Film News: 'Mia' continues to dominate foreign box office -- Foreign sensation "Mamma Mia!" stayed unstoppable at international multiplexes, racking up its fifth consecutive weekend victory with $14.1 million at 4,406 play dates in 47 markets.
 
Dinard lavishes praise on 'Boy'
Film News: Crowley's film sweeps festival -- John Crowley's "Boy A" took the most awards, including the top jury prize, the golden Hitchcock, at Dinard's 19th British Film Festival on Sunday.
 
'Tulpan' is tops at Zurich
Film News: Win caps biggest-ever year for growing festival -- Swiss-Kazakh co-production "Tulpan" won the top film prize at the Zurich Film Festival on Sunday, capping the biggest-ever year for the young and growing fest.
 
Asian film funds come in variety pack
Film News: Number of cash pools expand in region -- Asian filmmakers should get used to accessing local film funds as the region sees expansion of the number of cash pools available. But they will need to be aware of significantly different approaches to production investment.
 
DreamWorks, Paramount settle split
Film News: Studios hammer out separation agreement -- Paramount and DreamWorks have hammered out a joint arrangement for up to 40 development projects.
 

 

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