Ask Us Anything About Screenwriting

[Unknown Screenwriter]

*DISCLAIMER: I use CAPITALIZATION for EMPHASIS - not shouting.

As @indietalk pointed out in another thread, we have some extremely knowledgable members here that I think can answer ANY question about screenwriting that any of you may have. I think it would be great if we kept the thread going with all those questions. If this isn't allowed? I apologize and please delete the thread. It just seems like we should have an ONGOING place to answer all these questions.

There are NO stupid questions. Ask away!

 

[sfoster]

A friend of mine recently recommended "The Wire", a critically acclaimed series that played on HBO many years ago. While there's no denying the material feels authentic, I just couldn't see some of the characters doing the things they ending up doing near the end of season one. It was like the writers forced it to help the plot along.

I couldn't help but think, "he wouldn't go to the cops to rat them out -- he would just leave or exact revenge" or "He wouldn't suddenly feel guilty and not care about the case after the cop was shot, he would be more resolved and go ballistic on the drug dealers".

In the writers defense, there was an effort to establish the necessary character arcs to justify the actions but it still felt forced. I just couldn't believe it -- the series didn't grab me like Breaking Bad did. In Breaking Bad, the arcs were more extreme, but I bought into them -- In the Godfather, Michael Corleone's transformation seemed real to me, and so I felt invested in the story.

Tough business this screenwriting stuff, so hard to pull off.

Season 3 is the best if you stick with the show.

Also if youre looking for more realism, check out the spinoff/sequel to the wire "We Own This City" that is based off true events instead of a made up story

 

[Constantin]

Season 3 is the best if you stick with the show.

Also if youre looking for more realism, check out the spinoff/sequel to the wire "We Own This City" that is based off true events instead of a made up story

Thanks, I'll add this to my binge list. I am in season two of the Wire and it seems weaker than the first season

 

[scrawlx1012]

How do I write shorter , more pacy action lines - lots of the critique I am getting is that I am using longer lines which make it harder for people to get through my work and that I could say things in a more simple way? I acknowledge this as a problem but I'm struggling to fix this - I also like the style of James Cameron's Aliens i.e using Simile and metaphor but I am unsure how to use this in my own work? Part of the reason why I am using longer lines is because I have been told before that my lines were too sparse and did not have enough descrition?

Please have a look at the first page of the following for a sample of my writing:

Together.pdf

drive.google.com

 

[LindaRiv12pt]

Can someone show me a short story broken down into a film script? I know that is a bit of work..how about 1/3 of the story, or even less. Just how would you take a short story, (any) and turn it into a movie script? A formal script as you would in Final Draft or another editor. This is awesome. Thanks!

The exercise you want to go through is not an easy one... because each story has different angles to cover.

One classic example is the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. It's a compelling narrative that has been adapted into various formats, including a film script. Here's a brief breakdown of how you might structure it:

Introduction:

• Establish a small, seemingly ordinary town.
• Introduce the main characters: townspeople going about their daily lives.

Inciting Incident:

• The announcement of the annual lottery creates a sense of anticipation and curiosity.

Rising Action:

• Build tension as the townspeople gather for the lottery.
• Show the seemingly random selection process.

Climax:

• The shocking revelation of the "winner" and the true nature of the lottery.

Falling Action:

• Explore the reactions of the townspeople and the consequences of the lottery.

Resolution:

• Conclude with a reflection on the dark traditions and societal norms.

Closing Scene:

• End with a thought-provoking image or line that lingers in the audience's mind.

Event better, I would suggest the opposite.
Search for those movies that became books and analyse the changes / differences.
An interesting example is "The Abyss" a movies from the 1989 by James Cameron.
With the movie came also a book written by Orson Scott Card that has a beginning that is drastically different from the dynamic of the movie. In this case the author chose to introduce the characters one by one first, starting with their past history and how they finally got together.
This is not the only way but it is a good way to explain how "Show don't Tell" differs from a book (short story or not).

 

[iMovieShout]

I just happened across this thread - well done, its a good thread

So, having never written a script myself, I'm faced with the task of developing 4 story ideas / visions from our new film maker community club, in to shorts for production in 2024. The first one will be going to pre-production in February / March 2024.

As with any new film maker's club, things start off very slowly - despite it being in the middle of a highly creative rich city and located near 2 more very rich creative cities (about an hour's drive each way). So currently struggling to find a seasoned scriptwriter (well any scriptwriter) and a film director with some experience (3+ credits) is proving a challenge. Yes we've 11+ members (including highly credited an L.A director) and 80 keen / active followers on FB and Insta. Its only been 3 weeks, but we're going to use call sheets to try and gain more interest and support, and idealy a scriptwriter.


Meanwhie, does anyone here have any tips or tricks for someone like me (that has directed 3 shorts and 1st AD for 2 more 10+ years ago in the UK and Europe, and has written for the film scores / music for almost 4 dozen British, American and Candian films during the last 6 years), that is embarking on a script for a 10 minute short, and based / produced in the UK ?

 

[sfoster]

Meanwhie, does anyone here have any tips or tricks for someone like me (that has directed 3 shorts and 1st AD for 2 more 10+ years ago in the UK and Europe, and has written for the film scores / music for almost 4 dozen British, American and Candian films during the last 6 years), that is embarking on a script for a 10 minute short, and based / produced in the UK ?

I've Independently produced two 10 minute shorts, but IDK I can say anything specifically as it regards to screenwriting that isn't already obvious.
It helps a lot if you use locations that you have unlimited access to, you can go there days in advance and figure out the lighting, or return and do a reshoot to really enhance. etc

also helps if you make the roles appealing to actors, since I assume you're not paying much
if you make a revenge movie about hunting a pedophile or a rapist, literally nobody with talent is gonna want to play those antagonist roles, it's a bad concept for a low budget indie flick.
similary, a group of 4 pretty young women is gonna be hard to cast.. i have a way easier time casting young men in my area.
the easiest to cast is kids, and they work the cheapest. there are so many kids that want to act.

look at the demographic of actors in your area... are there a lot of eldery actors available that don't get many roles?

They could be really experienced and talented with free time but nobody is offering them scripts, so tailoring a script to someone like that (if they exist in your area in mass) that would appeal to them, they can show their families maybe, and it could help a lot with the production value to get more talented actors

so for example you could write one script about a kid that spends the weekend at grandpa or grandmas, and I bet it would result in some good acting and an all ages drama for fairly cheap. this film comes to mind.

tldr use what you have avialable. nothing earth shattering.
good luck