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New with a few ?'s

L

Lenny

I’ve written about 6 short films and I wasn’t really worried about how technically sound the scripts were because it was just me and my friend shooting them. Now I want to give it a good 100-120 page effort and I have a few questions:
1. I have Final Draft version 6. Is there a major difference in 6 and 7? If the industry standard is the same what have they changed? I hope I can get away with keeping my 6?
2. I’m trying to learn as much as I can and I’m starting to read some produced scripts. Are most of the scripts that you find at book stores and places like that spec or shooting scripts? Would it be bad to read and learn from shooting scripts if I’m writing a spec script?
Where is a good place to read some good spec scripts that I know are fundamentally sound? Free if possible.
Thanks for your help
 
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I use 6 and it's great, however, you should check the Final Draft website for the latest update for bug fixes.
 
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6 is fine...

Lenny said:
I’ve written about 6 short films and I wasn’t really worried about how technically sound the scripts were because it was just me and my friend shooting them. Now I want to give it a good 100-120 page effort and I have a few questions:
1. I have Final Draft version 6. Is there a major difference in 6 and 7? If the industry standard is the same what have they changed? I hope I can get away with keeping my 6?
2. I’m trying to learn as much as I can and I’m starting to read some produced scripts. Are most of the scripts that you find at book stores and places like that spec or shooting scripts? Would it be bad to read and learn from shooting scripts if I’m writing a spec script?
Where is a good place to read some good spec scripts that I know are fundamentally sound? Free if possible.
Thanks for your help
Click to expand...
FD6 is fine for creating a spec... The major differences have little or nothing to do with actual formatting. Yes, you can learn a lot from shooting scripts especially if you ever take a spec and convert it over to a shooting script.

Having said that...

If you're simply trying to eventually break into the spec market, just remember not to add camera angles or direction for the actors especially in parentheticals... Don't use POV, CU, CLOSE ON, etc... Rather, figure out how to write it with the angle you're shooting for in mind. Use secondary slugs when you want to divert attention specifically to something or someone.

Good luck!
filmy
 
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Thanks for the help. Also, I have The Screenwriter's Bible. Is that a good book for the nuts and bolts?

One other question, what’s with the “no voice over” I keep hearing. Is that a joke or something? Terrence Malick using voice over in all of his movies. 21 grams, which I thought was a great movie used voice over. I could list great movies all day that have VO. What’s that all about? Does the industry really look down on scripts that have it?
 
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Vo

Lenny said:
Thanks for the help. Also, I have The Screenwriter's Bible. Is that a good book for the nuts a bolts?

One other question, what’s with the “no voice over” I keep hearing. Is that a joke or something? Terrence Malick using voice over in all of his movies. 21 grams, which I thought was a great movie used voice over. I could list great movies all day that have VO. What’s that all about? Does the industry really look down on scripts that have it?
Click to expand...
If using voice over is critical to your story, use it. Nobody will trash a good screenplay because of that.

filmy
 
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Lenny said:
Thanks for the help. Also, I have The Screenwriter's Bible. Is that a good book for the nuts and bolts?

One other question, what’s with the “no voice over” I keep hearing. Is that a joke or something? Terrence Malick using voice over in all of his movies. 21 grams, which I thought was a great movie used voice over. I could list great movies all day that have VO. What’s that all about? Does the industry really look down on scripts that have it?
Click to expand...
With V.O., you are letting a charater tell the story, which is why it's frowned upon for new screewnwriters. They want you to learn how to tell the story, and not have someone else explain it. I guess a lot of people would see this as an easy way out, instead of telling the story through your writing. Of course it can be used, if that's what you want to do. It can be great.
 
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Voice Over

Trust me...

If you use voice over CORRECTLY, it won't hurt your chances of selling a script. However, if you use it to have a character tell us things you should be showing us, fughedaboudit. No sell.

filmy

EDIT: Assuming of course your script is outstanding.
 
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Voice over is frowned upon only because many new, unsold writers use it poorly. You can easily point many scripts that use it well - scripts by established professionals. The “rules” are different for new writers. Voice over in a spec isn’t a deal breaker.

I always suggest the new writer save that great script that needs voice overs until their sophomore effort. Readers aren’t always open to scripts with voice overs - unfair as that may be - because we read so many that are terrible. It’s hard enough to get your script read and moved to the next level, no need to make it harder.
 
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