Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with screenwriting

Help her tell her story

shothotbot — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:11:34 -0800

What is a good screenwriting class in NYC? Mrs. HotBot has extensive storytelling experience (edited major comic books, done TV production work) and wants to write some screenplays. I think the thing she most wants is the structure of having to write on a weekly deadline. What are some good screenwriting classes in NYC? If I can sign her up as a Christmas present, all the better.

straight from the source.

the NATURAL — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:13:57 -0800

Just curious: What DVD commentaries absolutely enhance the movie they're attached to? Thanks for your concern, but I've already seen these two previouslys.

As an aspiring screenwriter (maybe, one day, filmmaker? -- but then, who isn't?), I'm particularly interested in the craft of storytelling and the art of filming (how shots are composed, chosen, etc.). So, while I can't lie that it's funny that X and Y tell hilarious jokes in Z's commentary, I'm more curious from a technical standpoint.

Since this was last done in 2004, maybe skewing this towards DVDs released since then would make this a more timely question, as well.

Thanks, MeFi <4

A question about Robocop 2. Really.

mgrichmond — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:33:36 -0800

Robocop 2, for those of you who've missed this *ahem* masterpiece, involved a drug called Nuke. I need to know the name of the capsules the drug came in. In the movie, the drug came in disposable plastic tubes. You twist off one end to expose the needle, jam it into your neck, and squeeze to inject.

I'm writing a screenplay involving a fictitious drug, and I want to know if that's a real delivery method (and what the name of it is), or if it's something they made up for the movie.

Searching for information on writing children's television. What resources am I missing?

UMDirector — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:05:14 -0800

Searching for information on writing children's television. What resources am I missing? I know nothing about the children's television market and info seems hard to come by. I don't even know if the formatting is different or not.

Does anyone know where I might be able to locate script for actual children's show? I know many of the animated shows are storyboarded but they must start as something...or someone must still make some live action shows.

Anyone know of anywhere to find any tips on writing for the children's market? Do they have a pilot season like regular television or is it a totally different market?

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?

Alien vs Hunter gets made but my friend's script doesn't?

arniec — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:04:35 -0800

Help me understand the writing industry, specifically as it relates to Hollywood, etc. I really hope this is not dismissed as chat filter as I have a specific question, but admittedly this question is based in assumptions and opinions.

I have several friends who are living in L.A. and trying to be hired as screenwriters. One has entered several screenwriting competitions and even won a couple 2nd and 3rd place awards in minor competitions. Yet these friends, for the most part, cannot get anyone to review their scripts or even really give them the time of day. By the nature of what Hollywood is they all "know a guy who know's a guy" but nothing seems to come of it.

These are people working their butts off, working day jobs and working nights writing more scripts, but they get nowhere.

Now I had always written this off to "Hollywood has more people wanting to work than they need (be it actors, writers, directors, etc) and so a large amount of people go unemployed."

However recently I read a book called Crystal Lake Memories about the making of all the Friday the 13th movies, and in it Sean Cunningham talked about how his film company has people pitching him scripts, but because he is a small company they're only pitching it to him after it's been pitched to, and passed on by, all the major studios. And thus, per Cunningham, many of the scripts are sub-par.

So part 1 of the question is: why can't an aspiring writer who is actually GOOD pitch to Cunningham and his ilk, so that small film studios like Cunningham get good scripts by unknown writers rather than crap scripts by people who are already processed through the system?

Then part 2 is: Given the utter CRAP that is made, movies like Mansquito and Atomic Twister, Mother May I Sleep With Danger, etc. how is it that talented individuals can't even get their scripts looked at, but yet such utter tripe is not only seen, but produced and released?

I'm not saying any of my friends are the next Charlie Kaufman, but their stuff is certainly better than Manticore.

"Based on a story by my pal Shecky"

TheSecretDecoderRing — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:02:38 -0800

How often are the stories of a comic, novel, play, TV series, movie, or song conceived by the writer's friend, relative, acquaintance, neighbor, mailman, dog, etc? Writers get all the credit for their works (except in movies, where the director often ends up with a lot; and TV is often collaborative), but just how often is a given story entirely their own idea?

I remember some old anecdote about how Charles Schulz refused to accept story ideas from fans. And for legal reasons it's probably a smart choice for professional writers. But like a lot of people, IANAPW, but still harbor ambitions of coming up with the concept for the Great American Movie. (A lot of people in America, anyway.)

Not that I plan on hounding my friendly neighborhood screenwriter, but out of sheer curiosity, do you know of any instances where the premise behind a well-known show, movie, book, etc was conceived of in detail by someone other than the credited writer/creator... just an ordinary "civilian"?

A close example would be "Lost," which was roughly conceived by a then-exec at ABC, before being fleshed out by JJ Abrams and company. Now, if the general story arc of the entire series had originally been pitched to JJ by, say, his optician... that'd be even better.

Desperately seeking Representation

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:47:22 -0800

I'm an aspiring screenwriter and I need help finding an agent or manager. Askme, please help! So I've been writing scripts for several years. I've written ten scripts, seven of which I would show people. I've won some honors (a Gold award in one contest, semifinalist in several others), have had producers interested in one script (They actually met with me, had me do a rewrite, on spec of course, but didn't want to proceed because I didn't have an agent) but I've yet to find an agent. I've also yet to do the big push to find someone (i.e. sending out 300 query letters)

What are your suggestions for finding one? Should I just get the Hollywood Representation Directory and e-mail everyone? Should I mention one script? A few? All of them? I actually put together a "writing resume" which lists the scripts, with a logline, the honors I've won and my screenwriting education. Should I send this out to agents?

There are also many "services" that claim to do this for you, such as Scriptblaster, for example. Are they worthwhile?

Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

For Love or Money?

the NATURAL — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:53:37 -0800

Job Filter/ School Filter: Masters in Education, English, or Political Science? I'm a recent graduate with an interdisciplinary Bachelors' degree in Political Science and Philosophy, and a burgeoning interest (and dreams) in the field of screenwriting (and a little talent). I'm also interested in secondary school teaching, as a career or (best-case scenario) to meet the bills while writing spec scripts while rolling my dice in the Hollywood lotto.

For reasons both financial and personal, I'm going to be applying to (and likely attending, barring terrible recommendations or a terrible GRE score) the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. I'm planning on moving to San Francisco following graduation, and building a life there -- if I were to teach, I realize I would have to satisfy the California education requirements independent of whatever degree I get in Hawaii (even if it is education).

Taking all of these factors into account, which of these is probably the best field to study for my Masters'? Is it
1. Political Science, the field which I know the most about (and loved taking undergraduate classes in); or
2. English, with an eye on not only improving my writing skills and general employability, hopefully also making me a better screenwriter, but also enhancing my knowledge to teach with were I to end up as a teacher; or
3. education, just because this is the area that I will most likely be spending the rest of my life?

Screenplay Structure of The Wrestler

Jeff Howard — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:42:38 -0800

Is Robert Siegel's screenplay for The Wrestler an example of a two-act structure? If not, how would you characterize the structure of the screenwriting, and where are the act breaks? The one I recognize pivots around the physical crisis of Rourke's character.

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?

Screenwriting: cinema and myth?

sumo — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:58:27 -0800

Academic papers and books on the topic of myth in screenwriting? Screenwriting and myth, either academic papers, studies or books specifically on this topic.

Mythical archetypes, monomyth, critiscism of the monomyth theory. At this point I think academic papers on it would help, I don´t have any practice reasearching north-american academia.

I am building a presentation and a paper on it for my graduation here in Brazil, but material in portuguese is very scarce, so I am looking for english sources.

Also, any tips on a case study of a classic movie?

UCLA professional programs

mooza — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:56:46 -0800

I'm looking for opinions on the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting, whether you've done it, or know someone who has. In particular - opinions on the online course. Cos you know, I'm not in LA and can't be. Google has led me loads of news on alumni and whatnot, but not much reviewing of the experience (particularly the online one). Any other experiences with other online courses are welcome.

Please don't tell me I should just write until my hands drop off and that I don't need a class. Just advice on actual course if you could...

Thanks everyone!

Metafilm

matkline — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:09:22 -0800

How does one, in scriptwriting, correctly describe sequences in which a movie is shown (at length)? In other words - a movie inside of a movie.

No agent, no pride

Ziggurat — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:11:07 -0800

Question for pro screenwriters...since the strike is on right now, would this be an abnormally good time, or an abnormally bad time, to try to get an agent? My writing partner and I have been at it for a long time, and we just now (finally) have a script that is very good. I'm pretty cynical (pragmatic) about my own work, but I'm positive the script we've just finished is great, it's very commercial (not in a bad way), very funny, original, has a great story, all that stuff.
We've had brief dalliances with representation before, and we actually did a rewrite of a script that will hopefully be produced this year, for a few million dollars (meaning it was "professional" work). But we're not represented right now, and we want to be.
It seems to me that with the strike on right now, agents might be twiddling their thumbs a bit, and thus be a bit more receptive to looking at spec scripts. But is that assumption wrong? And, even more importantly, are we even allowed to seek representation right now, without being scabs? (I've tried to research that fact, but haven't found a definitive answer.) We're not WGA, but we don't want to break any rules or do anything dodgy r.e. the union.
Thanks a lot!

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.

How to avoid getting screwed by writer's strike?

PostIronyIsNotaMyth — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:35:03 -0800

How badly will the WGA strike affect a young screenwriter? I'm fresh out of film school and an aspiring screenwriter. Currently I do not have any type of representation. Last week my writing partner and I won best screenplay at a prestigious LA based horror film festival. At the festival I got all kinds of business cards from producers and entertainment lawyers. I'm set to meet with some of these people very soon. My script was also on weekend read at CAA this weekend, so representation is a definite possibility. But I know that the writer's strike is coming up.

My question is, if the writer's strike happens am I required as a non-union writer to stop meeting with all producers and agencies? I know scab writing is an instant ban from the union and union members are prohibited from meeting, but can I meet with people? I know the buzz on me and my script is so limited and is getting smaller by the day, will this strike kill any forward momentum I might be making? Any ideas on how to keep this buzz alive? I'm really freaked that a great opportunity to get my name and my writer's partner name out there is about to be screwed by something I have almost no involvement with. Any industry people out there who know what I can do?

Long-Distance Brainstorming

Rykey — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:53:58 -0800

Help me orchestrate long-distance brainstorming sessions for writing a TV series, at little or no cost. I've been saying for years, "Man, if only I could get my buddies A, B, C, D, and E together in the same room to bounce around ideas for this comedy show I want to write." We're all experienced with writing scripts, and these guys are truly hilarious and talented (some already work in TV and film), so this is something I'm really serious about.

In an ideal world, we'd all meet at an agreed-upon time, I'd throw out the script outline, and we'd crack each other up in an organized fashion, developing the details and punching up the jokes. Then I'd cull the best ideas and do re-writes, repeating the whole process as necessary.

Trouble is, we're all over the country, have jobs, and half of us don't know the other half (although everyone knows me). We all have cell phones and web access, but not all of us have land lines, and I believe I am the only owner of a webcam.

For some projects, it would be OK to have a chatroom or a blog for everyone to post to with ideas as they are able to. But the real value of the meetings for this particular script is in my pals' ability to think fast and play off of other people's ideas improv-style. So I'm thinking the best we can shoot for is some kind of conference call, with participation by people as we are able to make it, and me recording the sessions and listening later.

So here's my question finally: is there a more productive way to do this? If not, how can I make the most of my situation, technologically, procedurally, and creatively?

Boo! Now give me those internet residuals, dammit!

np312 — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:26:34 -0800

I'm thinking of being the 2007 Writer's Strike for Halloween (because, you know, November 1st will be pretty scary for us WGA members living paycheck to paycheck.) Now-- how to make this snarky, intangible and in-joke-ridden costume idea a reality? I live in LA and the majority of my friends are screenwriters, so there shouldn't be too much of a problem with people 'getting it.' I just want it to be an awesome costume, with lots of funny little references. (A dartboard with Patrick Verrone's face? A handful of bounced checks to hand out?)

If this is too much of a stretch, I'll go be a sexy {insert any occupation or mythological creature} like 99% of the female population. But I'd prefer to be the 2007 Writer's Strike. (Sexy writer's strike?)

(I'm female, if that helps. And I'm actually pro-strike, not that it matters.)

screenwriting

jne1813 — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:54:09 -0800

In screenwriing, how does one write a slug line for a scene that consists of dialogue on a black frame?

choosing screenwriting software sides

mooza — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:59:58 -0800

Final Draft, Movie Magic Screenwriter, or Celtx, or something else altogether? I've searched the archives, and the last screenwriting software debate was in 2005. What's happened since? Is Final Draft still the industry standard? Has Movie Magic taken over? And what's this Celtx thing I've just discovered? Or has something completely different and better come out since?

I just wanted to get some scriptwriting software, and I don't know which one to get. It's Avid vs Final Cut Pro all over again! Help me figure out which one is the shiznit.

Bones teleplay?

clockworkjoe — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:34:54 -0800

Where can I find some scripts of the TV show Bones? I want to write a spec script for the show Bones, but google and the popular script sites don't have any actual teleplays. I do not want a transcript. I want a script from the show that I can read to get a better feel for the show.

Screenplay in three weeks - am I crazy?

different — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:41:58 -0800

So, I promised myself that this year I would write a feature-length screenplay and enter it for the Nicholl Fellowships. The deadline is May 1. I haven't started yet. Still doable? I'm used to writing a lot, and under deadline. I count words, know how much I have to do, and get it done. But that's prose, not screenplays. I'd be starting from scratch to get this sucker written. Am I crazy to think that this is even possible to do in two or three weeks?

I'm not 'in it to win it', it's more of a personal challenge. But I wouldn't waste my time (or embarrass myself) by submitting something that wasn't up to scratch. At the risk of asking the length of a piece of string, how long would it take to write a feature-length screenplay? Any experienced (professional or otherwise) screenwriters care to chip in? Should I forget the deadline and begin on next year's effort, or is there still hope?

Screenwriting classes in NY?

o2b — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:07:34 -0800

Does anyone have any opinions on screenwriting classes in NY? Good ones? Bad ones?