Non Hollywood Screenwriting
Writing a movie is something you can´t learn overnight. It takes a lot of effort and expertise in assorted areas such as but not limited to creative writing, marketing and the power to visually figure something in your head. Nevertheless it can be learned. If you're starting from scratch, there's no reason you can't be done with your first 80 page draft in 10 days.
For newcomers it's critical to have a structure to adhere to. My proposal is to focus on just 4 basic cornerstones to get your first draft on paper. Here are the four main things you should focus on: The first thing is how to set up the dramatic structure of the film. The common 5-act-structure originates from ancient Greek and Roman theatre and worked it's way into modern narration long before films existed. Screenwriters still concentrate on introduction, rising tension and resolution, which basically is a condensed 3-act version of the 5-act structure developed by old playwrights. If you look at successful films, you'll easily recognise similarities in their dramatic constitution. All the same, if you're capable to push yourself to more creative thinking you might want to go for something differnet, something that might be slightly more challenging: Simply don't bring in characters in the offset, simply let them fall right into the story. Let the way they behave and respond in the course of action of their journey fill in the frame in the spectators mind, and let the persons develop during the whole movie. This will give your motion picture a individuality that can't be achieved by conservative Hollywood writing.
Another essential factor is the numerous steps to the finished draft. You can find enough of information for the classical treatment-to-first draft-structure out there, so let's look at something else. Another way to go is developing core scenes in the film, and writing a quick monologue from the character's pov, and then add things like environment, movements etc... By doing so you already establish a solid voiceover that summarizes crucial aspects of the movie, and you have stable cornerstones for your story to evolve in between. Various great films such as Taxi Driver feature a similar storytelling approach and were made in such a way.
The ProblemQuestion of how to give your characters a realistic look is also a huge one. It is required in order to enable empathy within the audience. One thing you should always do is adding negative aspects as well as strengths to the character´s persona, thus keeping a trustworthy balance between both. Otherwise you'll run into the danger of creating a one dimensional character, somebody who would fit in a caricature or animated kids film.
Last but not least you'll need to know how to properly format your text. Not only will it be easier for you to check and change your writing, but you'll have a much easier time monetizing it if you can work in an "industry standard" style. Buyers will trust you more and you'll look more professional.
If you prefer things the alternatte way when learning how to write a screenplay, just look for free scripts on the internet (which is actually not illegal) and try to look at how those scripts are written. You'll see that it's a lot more basic and not as elaborate. The explanation is that a major part of independent films have writer/directors, directors that write the scripts themselves. They are present at filming locations and can give instructions, so their script doesn't have to be as precise as it needs to be in a massive, 100-people Hollywood machinery. Thinkg about if you could imagine yourself as the director of your script, and if that's the case-go for the simple way!
Learn more about how to write a screenplay on my website1
Article submitted Sunday, January 08, 2012 & read 32 times.
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» left by Anonymous (33 days 19 hours ago.)
Boooooooooooks. I think I need to get that self-editing book. Might come just in time. I'm only inspired to write when I'm drieang. It's binge-y. One feeds the other. I need to figure that out. I need to write every day. I LONG to write every day. After working 7am to 7pm at the store today, I'm going to try for a paragraph. Some days lately, it's all I can conjur. Right now I'm drieang short stories by Alice Munro, Raymond Carver, Ann Beattie, Elizabeth Gilbert, Jennifer Egan and a new book of stories I just bought called, The Book of Life by Stuart Nadler. Munro and Carver are nice because they are quick reads. Morsels. Also, spending time every night with Conversations with Ernest Hemingway. I never really liked that thing Sam Shepard said. I think it sounds kinda arrogant. I admit I'm enamoured with descriptions of or pictures of writers' homes, especially when there are stacks and stacks of books laying about in every room. Just read an interview with said Ernest where the interviewer describes his house (books everywhere: floors, shelves, in every room. Remember all the books everywhere at Eudora's place!?) and HOW he writes: standing, he writes longhand with a pencil on sheets of white tracing paper fastened to a clipboard. When he fills (oops,present tense) a page he pulls off that sheet, turns it over and stacks it beneath his desk. I just can't get enough. Still, if I had a written page for every chapter I've ever read well. Maybe I'd be my own boss sipping coffee in the morning, gearing up for my day of work twenty feet away from my coffee press, at my white desk. I love your posts, Kel! Fun!