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I'll have eight hours to write a screenplay from start to finish. Help!

Cantdosleepy — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:23:12 -0800

Screenwriters - advice for coming up wirth effective short film scripts QUICKLY! I'm involved in a 48 Hour Film Challenge at the weekend. On Friday at 19:30 we will be given:

1) a genre
2) a prop
3) a line of dialogue that must appear in the film

(All teams have the same prop and dialogue line. Each team has a different genre, picked out of a hat.)

We have to submit an edited short film by 19:30 on Sunday evening.

The plan in the past has been: write on Friday, shoot on Saturday, edit on Sunday.

As you can imagine, going from a first concept to a shooting script in one evening, after a day at work, can be a challenge.

Any advice from people experienced in this would be gladly received. Length, drafting, idea creation, etc etc.

What can I do to prepare before the day? What things should I have at the front of my mind? There's obvious stuff - don't include expensive props that we don't have etc. What are other things that should be written on a piece of A4 and stuck above my monitor as I'm writing?

For a screenplay: what are some wilderness traps one could improvise to incapacitate another person?

thejrae — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:09:04 -0800

For a screenplay: what are some wilderness traps one could improvise to incapacitate another person? The protagonists are extreme survival camping types, a hetero couple. They are out in the middle of nowhere winter camping when a crazy dude starts shooting at them with a rifle. They manage to escape on his Argo (ATV type thingy) to get a headstart, but have little supplies. They have a gun but I'm not sure if I want them to use it- they'd prefer to solve things non-violenty. ;)

Anyway, they need to set a trap up for the hunter. They have something he wants so they can lure him.

I've seen some snare traps and deadfall traps online, but those seem more for small animals. This is for a human. There's the pit with spikes in the bottom, but I'm not sure if they'd have enough time to dig a pit, and don't know if they have a shovel or not (of course I could write it in... but it seems kinda boring, I dunno.)

Maybe it's not a trap but more "knowledge of the land" they could use to their advantage... a triggered avalanche perhaps?

The other thing is I don't want to kill the hunter- just pin him down or knock him out.

Also, me and 2 other people are shooting this in Colorado this winter, so we have to be able to pull off these special effects ourselves! That's a big catch! :P We could use stock footage perhaps for an avalanche.

Movie producers keep asking about my article

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:04:44 -0800

Screenplay question. OK, so, first of all, I have no illusions about the 1 in a zillion odds of selling a screenplay (especially after reading previous Metafilter threads.) But producers keep sending out feelers to me about a magazine piece I wrote, so I feel like I have to try. I'm not sure how though.

It started with a long article I wrote for about $200. Couple years later, a company that did a Super Bowl ad writes, wants to know if the rights are available. They don't bite, but a few months later, some other Hollywood guy writes. Then someone else...

Like clockwork, these inquiries keep coming. So my friend and I allow our Paul Schrader fantasies to go a little too far. We write (and heavily revise) a screenplay so we can pitch it to the next person who comes calling.

A few producer encounters later, out of nowhere a company representative asks to see the script. After reading it, he likes it enough that he wants to know if we will we be available to meet with his superiors? Once again we get all excited, but then...silence.

My question is: What would you do, real writers? Is there any way to try and parlay this trickle of interest into something? Should I just send a ton of query letters out, and if so, how to get across this situation--that we're not just pitching, like, a Memento ripoff we made up, but a story that seems to hold real interest out there?

Or should we just, as Kool Keith said, give up and "keep your jobs at 7-11?"

Joss Whedon, Toy Story script doctoring

The ____ of Justice — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:41:11 -0800

I recently read an article saying that the Pixar film Toy Story "really came together" when Joss Whedon started working on the script. Does anyone know how he contributed or what he actually did to the story? I realize there are a number of writers who worked on the story--many say Joss Whedon made the greatest contribution. I'd like to know how.

INT. Study - Night

the NATURAL — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:14:41 -0800

ScreenplayFilter: What are the best screenplays that you've ever read? What are the best screenplays you've ever read, produced or unproduced? (And, if they're unproduced, where could I secure a copy to read?)

You know what I mean -- the ones that you pick up and suck you in, entirely, wholeheartedly, until you are seeing the movie through your own eyes. Those which are so well-written, well-thought out, and clever, that you can't help but be impressed by the screenwriter's talent and artistry.

For me and my marginal experience, it's The Shawshank Redemption, Michael Clayton, Stranger Than Fiction, and Syriana. But what are yours?

Give us a clue?

Beardman — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:09:58 -0800

Can you think of any films that include a scene where the characters play Charades, or a similar party game? I've been tasked with writing a screenplay for, and possibly shooting, a short film about a rowdy game of Charades at a party. I'd like to see how other movies have done this kind of thing, as much to avoid repetition as for inspiration. Examples from theatre or TV shows (though no game shows, please) would also be helpful. Thanks!

Based on a true story...sorta

Oriole Adams — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:20:46 -0800

Screenplay filter: Legal ramifications regarding "based on a true story" or "ripped from the headlines" films. I've got a few publishing credits under my belt (non-fiction books, some reference, some trivia-related), but I'm itching to combine two of my personal guilty pleasures - true crime and Lifetime-style movies - in an effort to branch out into screenplay writing. I grew up watching the various network "Movies of the Week", and Lifetime original movies have helped to fill that "ripped from the headlines" void in recent years. I've got a couple of crime stories I'm working on in this regard, but I'm wondering if, even if I change the names of the victims and the location, do I need to get any sort of special permissions before submitting the screenplay? For example, if I was presenting the story of the Texas Yogurt Shop Murders, and I changed the locale to an ice cream store in a different state and used different names for the victims and perps, could I still A) present it as "based on a true story" and B) not be sued by the families of the actual victims for using their story without permission? (This point is probably iffy in any situation, considering the litigious climate in the US.)

Perhaps this all boils down to how much can you change a story in order to prevent charges of plagiarism or exploitation, while still selling it as a "true story"? What if I use several intricate details of a scenario that only the actual person involved would know? For example, can I use the description of an airline hijacking given by a survivor who recounted their story in an interview if put it in my own words and change the names/places? There must be some sort of industry standard, since so many TV films are based on true stories, but I don't know what, if any, permissions are necessary, or how much attribution must be given when submitting the screenplay, etc. (I know that if I get a "bite" once I submit a screenplay I'll need to lawyer up, but I want to sort of be informed a bit in advance as much as possible.)

CU: A flange.

turgid dahlia — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:23:04 -0800

How To Write Technical Training Films? The government department I work for is in the midst of an enormous communications restructure and, hoping to move into corporate communications, I volunteered my services to one of the managers in my business group.

One of the myriad tasks on his plate is the start-to-finish development of a number of technical training films. The nature of our work here sees people out in the field installing specialised monitoring equipment.

From the prescis:

“These films will be for internal departmental use as training aids. The primary target will be for new staff who will not have someone at their side to assist them. It is hoped that most of the tasks in the field process will be covered. They may last a few minutes only dealing with specific technical issues or of greater length if going through data entry type procedures.

“These training films are not to be seen as replacements/substitutes for the National Standard training requirements – they will at all times be complimentary.”

So, pretty straightforward (if dry) stuff, I imagine. What I have been asked to do - with the assistance of experts in the actual processes I will be documenting – is develop the “textual storyboards”, or teleplays, if you will, for these processes.

I have a fair idea of how to set about doing this but I’d like to make an extra good impression with this work, so I’d love to hear about any easily accessible resources (preferably online) on this subject, and I would similarly love to hear advice and tips from any MeFites who have done similar work.

Enter Sandman

cazoo — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:14:59 -0800

Does anyone know where I can read a copy of The Sandman film script by Roger Avary? A few years back, I remember reading Roger Avary's movie script adaptation for Neil Gaiman's Sandman. The PDF file was hosted on Mr. Avary's site around 2002, but since then he no longer has it up. Perhaps he was threatened by the copywrite owner to take it down. Would anyone happen to have a copy or know of where I can find it? It doesn't appear on any of the other film script collection web sites. Thanks.

I am 100% positive it was Avary's and not Rossio's draft I had read and I believe it may have been written mid to late 90's or possibly early 2000.

Where to buy scripts?

wonderyak — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:28:32 -0800

Where is the best place to buy produced screenplays? 12-point courier, 8.5x11", brass-brad screenplays. Not buy to make, but buy to read and study? I have to purchase a bunch for a course I'm teaching, and I'm wondering if there are any reputable dealers/publishers who sell in quantity. I need to purchase 20 copies of three or four scripts (I haven't decided on exactly which titles I want to use, yet).

Unfortunately, the "shooting scripts" available at bookstores/Amazon.com (Newmarket seems to be the primary publisher) just won't cut it. The formatting is incorrect and I want my students to read the actual versions of the scripts that were read by agents, actors, producers, directors, etc.

I've done some Googlin', but all the sites I'm finding seem...well, less-than-reputable. But maybe I'm just being picky. Any experience with any of these stores?

I also know that a tremendous number of scripts are available for download (dailyscript.com, simplyscripts.com, movie-page.com), but the legality of simply printing out PDFs for my students seems iffy. Any thoughts on this?

Cheap camcorder - 6 years old

philip-random — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:12:00 -0800

What was the cheap cool camcorder to have in 2002? This question concerns some research I'm doing for a screenplay set in 2002/2003 (eve of the Gulf War). Setting is North America so we're talking NTSC. Other flashes of insight as to cool, cheap audio-visual gear of the period (and related extrapolations) welcome.

to rewrite or not to rewrite?

philip-random — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:40:15 -0800

Should I rewrite my novel before submitting it to publishers? Back story: The current draft was completed over three years ago. Everybody liked it (not just family and friends) to the extent that a certain not unsuccessful indie-filmmaker demanded I turn it into a screenplay for him (that’s where the three years went). The screenplay is now pretty much complete and off to market. The problem is that, based on the adaptation process, I can now see a number of obvious shortcomings in the novel. Foremost among them: it’s too long. I know I could make it twenty-five percent shorter with losing anything of value and have already rewritten the first fifty pages or so in this light.

My real question then (publishing industry pros please take note). As a first-time essentially unknown novelist, should I:

1. submit the existing 2005 draft as is and then “get paid” to make the revisions in collaboration with an editor?

2. take the time (at least three poverty stricken months, probably six) to make the changes that I know will only improve it?

3. (here’s where it gets tricky and perhaps needlessly complicated) submit the rewritten fifty plus pages as a hook and then evolve the relationship from there?

Final note: if #3 strikes you as my best option, any hints as to how I might word this in the queries I will be sending out?

Once the script is done, what's next?

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:12:58 -0800

Let's pretend I am not too far away from completing a feature-length screenplay on spec. I live far from LA with no connections to Hollywood, and I've got very little money squared away. Once the script itself is done, how would I most effectively pimp out my product to a studio? Let me vent my frustration: every time I read a book or an article about breaking into this-or-that part of the movie business, the author has an opinion that manages to completely contradict some other author I've read. Hire an agent immediately or you'll crash and burn! Wait, don't hire an agent, send your script directly to a bunch of indie producers' assistants! And so on. Everyone seems certain that their advice is the only correct advice, which implies that either most of these Hollywood Insiders are talking out of their asses, or that selling your average script is essentially a crapshoot, or both of the above. Is the crapshoot theory correct, or can you recommend some effective steps I can take (other than the obvious: proper formatting, copyrighting, etc) to sell this script? If I had more money I would be awfully tempted to move to LA and shop around for agents, but -- at least for now -- that doesn't look entirely feasible. Send an e-mail to scriptquery@gmail.com if you like.

Looking for coverage work

Bookhouse — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:34:47 -0800

How does one find work as a script reader in Hollywood? What are other bottom-rung industry jobs for writers? I've just moved to L.A., and am interested in finding work as a script-reader while I work on my own writing. However, I'm not sure how to get started. Does one query agencies? Write spec coverage? All tips and advice welcome.

Also, information on other industry jobs that are a good fit for professional writers is welcome.

Pay for adult screenwriting?

Astro Zombie — Mon, 05 May 2008 22:43:41 -0800

About how much can a writer expect to make for an adult screenplay? $400? Less? More? Anyone?

Honest to blog, I need it.

pseudostrabismus — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:10:19 -0800

Is the screenplay for Diablo Cody's "Juno" online anywhere (other than the official Fox Searchlight site)? When "Juno" was just "the little movie that could", the screenplay was online on the Fox Searchlight website (previously discussed on MeFi in this thread). But now it's gone, probably taken down to keep it exclusive so they could sell more copies of it. Okay, fine. But I was gonna use a couple scenes for a class this week, and I don't have time to wait for the bound version to come in the mail-- so anyone know where I can find it online? (Or anyone have a saved copy they'd shoot me, mefi-mail-stylez?)

PS, I'm gonna buy this script at some point so I'm not stealing precious bucks from the mouths of the artist & studio, just borrowing.

Thanks.

You're Drunk!

dkleinst — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 04:00:39 -0800

I'm on a writing binge! What are the best upcoming teleplay and screenplay contests?

Apocalypse Now

biddeford — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 02:11:31 -0800

Can anyone point me toward the original script for Apocalypse Now? I've found transcripts of the movie online, but I'm looking for the original screenplay without Brando's wacked-out improv.

Films conceived by High Schoolers

np312 — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:10:31 -0800

What popular movies were conceived of and/or written by the screenwriter when he or she were still in high school? I'm going to be teaching a high school screenwriting workshop and I'd like to give them some encouraging examples of films that were conceived when the creators were in the 15-18 year range.

I know that Luc Besson started writing "The Fifth Element" when he was in high school. Can you give me any other examples that might appeal to American high school kids? Thanks a lot!

Help me write a treatment!

Roman Graves — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 22:07:37 -0800

Help me write a great treatment. I'm small-time. Like...miniature time. Since I've never even come close to a screenwriting gig that actually pays, I've never written a treatment. That changed (not with a major gig, obviously, but one that would involve a check), and I need to have one hammered out in about a week. I've read various articles on it in the past, but the hivemind always helps. Any and all tips on great treatments are appreciated.

TV interviews in big movie moments?

np312 — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:25:09 -0800

I'm looking for films where the climax of the story takes place during a live, on-camera television interview. The only one I can think of which comes close is "The Insider." Please help! (By "climax" I mean the part of the story where the main conflict is finally resolved in some manner. Usually occurs towards the last ten or twenty minutes of the movie.)

It doesn't matter to me whether the films are based in fact or completely fictional.

Please note: I'm not looking for films where a merely important scene takes place during an interview. As much as possible I want movies where the big moment comes during a tv interview. I say "Insider" counts because the interview being broadcast is the moment where his story finally comes out, though I suppose it's up for debate.

Thank you for any recommendations!

Screenwriting Forum

philosophistry — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 09:23:47 -0800

Is there a site for people to post their screenplays and other people can comment on them? I've been on a site like this before and lost it. Thanks!

Script format for :30 commercials?

JMB1138 — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:41:46 -0800

Script format for :30 commercials?I've been asked by a local company to write scripts based upon concepts I've given them for :30 commercial spots to air on local cable. I know it's not a big deal, but since I'm anal about proper format in general, I was wondering what the proper formatting is for this kind of script. Plus I'm simply curious. I have Final Draft and am comfortable with basic screenplay format, teleplay format for 1 hour dramas, and stage plays. Is there a specific way to write a commercial script or is it irrelevant cause it's so short and anything goes?

Arthur Miller's "The Hook"

dpx.mfx — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 09:53:40 -0800

Arthur Miller's "The Hook" Apparently Arthur Miller wrote a screenplay called "The Hook" that was never published/produced. I want to read it. I've googled around, and while there are many references to the screenplay, there doesn't seem to be any way to buy or read it (unsuprising, I suppose, since it isn't published). Does anyone know where his papers are kept, or some other way I might get my hands on this?

Optioning film rights

strangeleftydoublethink — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:20:21 -0800

I'm finishing up a first draft of a screenplay adaptation of a novel. I've contacted the company who owns the rights to the novel and they told me to send a proposal for an option to the film rights. Has anyone ever had any experience with obtaining options to film rights? The book was published in 1975. The author is dead. None of his works have ever been adapted for the screen, so I doubt if there is or has been much demand. The baseline for my proposal is $1,000 for a one year option and 30% of the purchase price. Does that sound reasonable?