no writers in the building?

[fasteddie]

cmon yall. the writing is the first real step toward making a movie. and i know there are folks chatting up their flicks, so how about some words on your writing process? do u hate it? love it? how quick do u throw your ideas down on the page? can one write a truly objective screenplay? or would anyone even want to?..........so anyway, i started writing screenplays about 8 months ago and i feel like im improving all the time. but here's what i hate: writing for 'specs'. and that was a major issue with the first script i wrote, cuz i wrote as i envisioned it on screen. so naturally i was putting in the rotates, zoom ins, and all that in the screenplay. then im done and read that one "shouldnt direct from the page". so it sucked having to go back, but it forced me into my first rewrite so it wasnt all bad. anyone with me?

[Chris Gore]

Totally with you. FT tends to attract more filmmaker/director types than the writer types I think. But good writing is the first component of a great film.

[Furious D]

I've got a confession to make.

I'm a writer. To be more specific, a struggling writer. Something that can probably be seen in the bloated and verbose postings I tend to put up. The fact that I've just used the word verbose is a dead giveaway.

So far I've written screenplays in almost every genre, a satirical teleplay about Hollywood, a couple of dozen short stories, one novel (a fantasy/satire about politics & a man with superhuman powers), reams of sketch comedy for various stage & radio groups and for one unsold TV pilot, I'm currently pitching a comedic comic book project to a major publisher, and I've even done a few articles for newsletters, websites and Film Threat.

My writing's progressed over the past few years to the point where I can look at and see something beyond their flaws. I've received a lot of good responses for my material, but I've also run into a few brick walls, especially in my homeland of Canada.

But don't get me started on that, or this forum will degenerate into a bitchfest. Good luck with your writing, and I suggest you give Triggerstreet a shot with your scripts. It can't hurt and you do get some real and constructive feedback.

[Jeremy Knox]

I'm a writer. :) Been writing 13 years now. I've done a handful of screenplays and am working on my second novel.

The first thing you need to understand as a writer is what makes a book/screenplay/movie work. It's not the story and it's not the originality. Those are incidentals at best.

Pacing is the most important thing. Even a terrible screenplay will be easy on the eyes if it's paced just right. Playing out not too long, nor too short.
Then there's characters. Interesting people who seem to have more than one dimension and a personal history that encompasses more than the basic needs of the script can always carry even the most paper thin story.
Good dialogue is a must. If it doesn't sound like human beings talk that way. Get rid of it.

What else? Hmm... Oh yeah! Plot :D How could I forget? Plot is essential. HOW you tell the story is about a million times more important than whatever story you've chosen to tell. You can make even the most cliched ridden story seem fresh with a new take on it.

Well, if anyone wants advice or just to talk writing I'm here :) I'm no expert but I think I know enough not to embarrass myself with my responses.

JK13

[fasteddie]

thanks folks! i knew there was a writer or two out there. so, i have a completed spec script that i want to get into some folks hands. whats my next step? sending production companies queries? if thats the next step, whats an average response time? Also, furious i checked out the triggerstreet site, thanks for the tip. the site immediately brought to mind the fact that i guess i should protect my script in some way. is there a cost efficient way to do this? all responses are appreciated.

[Chris Gore]

Before you get it into the hands of some people who can help you career-wise, like agents or producers, my suggestion is to get feedback via friends and by entering reputable screenplay competitions. (Be careful, there are a lot of screenplay scams out there.) The film I just produced, I sent out three incarnations of the script to friends (industry people who read for a living) and got notes and they were extremely helpful. I would make that step one. The next steps are tough, like getting readers to pay attention to your work.

[Furious D]

Look up the Writer's Guild Registration program as a way to protect your script. For a fee it's put in a sealed & dated envelope and stored for five years giving some proof of your authorship. Most legit producer's prefer that you send them a WGA reg'd script to ease their minds.

If you're looking for writing help, I work with of struggling writers in my native Nova Scotia called Screenwriter's Anonymous or ScreenAnon. They meet monthly, read each other's work and offer help and advice. We have a website that has some info so you can start your own ScreenAnon group with any literary-minded friends.

It's at ScreenWriter's Anonymous (http://screenanon.writernetwork.com)

There are articles, tips on offering constructive criticism, some formatting hints, and other helpful stuff. I should know, I helped build the thing. Please ignore the annoying pop-up ads, there the price you pay for free server space.

[FilmDallas]

I've written four or five screenplays, starting mostly just to see if I could do it. The bulk of my writing experience came in newswriting and advertising copywriting. So, I knew I could write short. Writing something as long as a screenplay? I had no idea if I could do it.

I have the opposite issue that you did, fasteddie, I not only left out any camera-type movement, but I had virtually no stage direction or action elements or whatnot. I tried to say everything with the dialogue.

At most, I'd have the character's name and sometimes their age. But nothing about the clothes or the look of the character or motivation for their actions. Perhaps there'd be a "Sean sits down on the couch" or "Jamie storms out of the room", but that'd be it.

Actually, I still do that to some degree.

I like screenwriting. It's fun to create people and worlds and situations, even if they never leave the printed page. It makes me feel good to complete something, too. Writing something as involved as 100 pages still feels like an accomplishment to me given that I was so used to 'writing short' with my previous writing.

How I approach it is that I have a general idea. I will keep it in my mind and think about it more and more for a couple of weeks or so. Sometimes I will even write up the first two or three pages just to get it started, but I very rarely keep going with the writing from there.

After some time of thinking about it (maybe a couple of weeks, maybe a month, maybe a few years. The idea for my first screenplay came to me four years before I wrote it. Had the entire story in my head two years before I wrote it), I'll have plotted out where I want the story to go and what I want the characters to be like. And then I'll sit down and start writing again.

At that point, it usually only takes me a week or so to get through the whole script.

Then I'll put it aside for a few weeks and come back to it later to look at it with fresh eyes to see the flaws, where it can be strengthened, etc. And I go from there.

I try to get feedback from my friends, but it's darn near impossible to get them to read a script... even actor friends I have don't like to read scripts just for content, etc. The most criticism I get when someone does read is "It's good", so I could be one who could probably benefit from finding a peer group that reads each other's work (problem I had was the last filmmaking-related group I tried to join was a disaster, so I've been gunshy).

[fasteddie]

FilmDallas - it sounds like we sorta work the same way. I have a few screenplays that I have banged out four or five pages on, let em sit, and expect to return to them at some point in the future. My first screenplay was a different animal altogether. The idea sprang from watching a white guy trying to communicate with and Indian couple. Neither one of em had any clue what the other was saying. It was funny to watch. This idea blew up into a screenplay about homeland security and political correctness. I knocked out the first draft in about three weeks. I'll also add that when i looked down and typed 'THE END' and noticed that it was 117 pages I FELT LIKE A GENIUS!

I also don't feel like I'm getting 'real' criticism from the folks I know. All of my friends and co-workers are very positive but...who knows, theyre prolly just being nice. I am going to throw my script around to some competitions after i get it registered. Thanks again for the tip furious.

And I also plan to hook up with this screenwriting group here in austin and see what thats all about. Hopefully it'll worth the time.

[FilmDallas]

Austin also seemed to me to be a good place to get some good feedback as it seems like there are a lot of artistic types down there. And I always got that bohemian vibe from the place and more of a sense of "community". You know, the complete opposite of everything Dallas stands for. :)

I'll bet it'll be worth your time when you find a group down there.

[Jeremy Knox]

Let me ask you guys a question...

Often, just for fun, I'll write stuff that I know couldn't possibly be published. I've rewritten Frankenstein and wrote an entire Terminator 4 screenplay just as a way to pass the time when I can't think of what to write.

Do you guys do that too?

It's kinda fun :) Like doodling with words.

JK13

[Furious D]

Originally posted by Jeremy Knox
Let me ask you guys a question...

Often, just for fun, I'll write stuff that I know couldn't possibly be published. I've rewritten Frankenstein and wrote an entire Terminator 4 screenplay just as a way to pass the time when I can't think of what to write.

Do you guys do that too?

It's kinda fun :) Like doodling with words.

JK13

I've done it before JK13. I once wrote an entire mock James Bond script as an exercise. I was weak in writing action scenes like chases, fights, etc...

So I sat down & in two weeks had an entire 007 script complete with snippy one liners, a damsel in distress, and lots & lots of action.

I made up a James Bond story as my exercise because everybody knows them for their over the top and elaborate action sequences. I had Bond dodging a crashing helicopter in Berlin, a motorcycle chase inside a museum in Rome, a chase on the top the elevators in the Empire State Building, an escape from a collapsing Vegas Casino, a shootout on the Hoover dam, and wrapped it up with a battle on cable cars high over a chasm in the Rocky Mountains. I learned that in writing such scenes the devil is truly in the details and practice does indeed make perfect.

It was great practice and a lot of fun.:cool:

[fasteddie]

WEll, being the newbie, I obviously havent written Blader Runner 2 or anything like that but it is interesting. You see, I just flip to another idea and start banging out details about characters, plot possiblities, unrelated tales. Question: if u did write Terminator 4:British Steel and it kicked ass would there even be a remote possiblity of someone looking at it?

Another question, furious wrote "the devil was in the details" about writiing action scenes. So, how much is too much? Its hard to get a straight answer about this in these friggin books.

Also, about books, any out there that are worth their weight? My philosophy professor used to say that you should just learn the basic ideas put forth by whatever philosopher and stop reading about them. From there on out you should just 'use your head'. Does that apply here?

[Furious D]

Originally posted by fasteddie
Another question, furious wrote "the devil was in the details" about writiing action scenes. So, how much is too much? Its hard to get a straight answer about this in these friggin books.


Here's a nicely vague, zen-bullshit answer.

Only too much is too much.

The key is to practise. You have to be able to tell a lot with a bare minimum of words being used. You don't have to describe every detail of a setting, just the parts that are important to your story. Because if you go on & on about the furniture and decor of a room, a studio-exec with the brain power of a turnip would put it in the circular file as having "Too much black stuff between the dialogue."

You have to hone your skills at description until you compose a scene where everything you want told is told, but where you don't overwhelm the poor studio suit with so much ink.

You should check out ScreenAnon (http://screenanon.writernetwork.com) it's free and in the ARTICLES section is a list our members have put together of helpful books. You can also use our guidelines to start a ScreenAnon in your area. Look for like-minded people who might be interested in helping each other improve their work.

I hope I helped.

[Jeremy Knox]

Originally posted by fasteddie
WEll, being the newbie, I obviously havent written Blader Runner 2 or anything like that but it is interesting. You see, I just flip to another idea and start banging out details about characters, plot possiblities, unrelated tales. Question: if u did write Terminator 4:British Steel and it kicked ass would there even be a remote possiblity of someone looking at it?

Another question, furious wrote "the devil was in the details" about writiing action scenes. So, how much is too much? Its hard to get a straight answer about this in these friggin books.

Also, about books, any out there that are worth their weight? My philosophy professor used to say that you should just learn the basic ideas put forth by whatever philosopher and stop reading about them. From there on out you should just 'use your head'. Does that apply here?

Naw, you could never sell a screenplay for something as "high end" as T4. No one would even read it unless you were close personal friends with the producers or something. If it's someone elses work and a studio didn't commision it there's no way to sell it. It's just fan fiction for you to show your friends.

As for details... Well, the kind of details you mean isn't so much descriptive detail as it is story detail. Let me explain.

For example. You're writing a story about Mike and you write the following sentence: Mike owns a red 1993 Ford Mustang five liter coupe with a black interior and a five speed manual tranny. The car has seventeen inch wheels and a flowmaster muffler system.

Can you see the error in what I just wrote? It kinda jumps out at you doesn't it? Just write Mike has a red Mustang and let the reader fill in the gaps. This is for a book mind you, for a screenplay you can reduce this further to Mike has a Mustang or even just Mike has a car. If it's not important to the story let it go. There's no point in slamming the brakes with the narrative to explain something every five minutes.

HOWEVER...

What about Mike himself? Ah-ha! You can't just go Mike is a nice guy. That's just lame. You have to write something like:

Mike was standing at the checkout counter waiting for his change when he noticed the little girl. She was a sweet little thing, maybe three years old. She was crying because the candy machine had eaten her quarter. The look of dissapointment was all over her face.
When the Waitress gave Mike his change he took two quarters and gave them to the kid when he walked past. He didn't stop or even slow down, but he did wink at her and the smile she gave him made his day.

Okay, that's not perfect by any stretch but it serves the purpose of illustrating what kind of detailling I mean. You'll notice I don't describe what Mike's wearing. What he looks like or even what his last name is. I used description to further the narrative and not slow it to a halt. Again, this is for a book. In a screenplay this would work as well, only instead of the third person you'd write it in the first Mike is standing at the checkout counter and waits for his change... ect.

I'm a big fan of Elmore Leonard's writing because I enjoy the way that he's ruthless with anything that interrupts the smooth grammatical pacing of his books. If it's not useful, it's not in there.

But don't worry about HOW to write. I speak from experience when I say that too much preparation is a waste of time. Just read a screenplay or a book to see what one is supposed to look like and then jump into it. It's the best and fastest way to learn. Focus for the time being on writing whatever it is you're writing and finishing it. Then when you're done you'll edit it and see where your strenghts and weaknesses are. Most of the "writing" is done during the editing process anyway when you wittle down your big lump of a story into something more ressembling a book or a screenplay.

JK13

[FilmDallas]

Naw, you could never sell a screenplay for something as "high end" as T4. No one would even read it unless you were close personal friends with the producers or something. If it's someone elses work and a studio didn't commision it there's no way to sell it.

You might... and I stress the word "might"... get some attention with some agents with something like that as an example of what you can do. But even that is unlikely.

Can you see the error in what I just wrote? It kinda jumps out at you doesn't it? Just write Mike has a red Mustang and let the reader fill in the gaps. This is for a book mind you, for a screenplay you can reduce this further to Mike has a Mustang or even just Mike has a car. If it's not important to the story let it go. There's no point in slamming the brakes with the narrative to explain something every five minutes.

I agree with this explanation and the lines that follow on the same topic. To me, if it doesn't matter, then it doesn't go in.

If the clothes a person wears are important to the character, or something like that, then it can be something you might put in, though I wouldn't personally go into great detail about it, just enough to get the gist.

I think, too, that as you write more, you kind of develop more of a sense of what is important and what isn't, and therefore, what should go in and what shouldn't.

[FilmDallas]

Originally posted by Jeremy Knox
Often, just for fun, I'll write stuff that I know couldn't possibly be published. I've rewritten Frankenstein ...

Just for the record, you could sell a Frankenstein script as long as it was based on elements either within the original book or at least not created for the Universal movies. The book is in the public domain. The classic movies are not, though, so anything created specifically for those movies would be off limits (such as the look of the monster, for example).

Just FYI.

I've actually written part of a Sherlock Holmes story, though it's not really a Sherlock Holmes story in the traditional sense. I just thought it would be fun to do, didn't have any intentions of trying to sell it.

[Adam Hackbarth]

I am available to write.

Here's my credits:

"Inbred Redneck Alien Abduction" - No, I didn't come up with the title. I was a co-writer. We were told to make an alien/redneck movie. It answers the question: "What would happen if the aliens from close encounters abducted the hillbillies from Deliverance?"

It's currently being edited. It's to be released by Sub Rosa Extreme in 2004. Obviously, it's a sci-fi/comedy.

"Pristine Angst" - being filmed this February in CA. It's a suspense/thriller. More info later.

"Studio 666" - it's currently in post. It's a horror flick about a rock band dealing the suicide of their lead singer. Writing this one has gotten me a lot of attention from other producers. This is going to get excellent distribution.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to visit my crappy little website:

http://www.adamhackbarth.com

[Philo Bedo]

To paraphrase some thing that Roger Corman said to to Martin Scorsese while filming BoxCar Bertha:

"..look Marty. I don't care what you want to do with that crane shot of the train. Just make sure that Hershery broad shows her tits every fifteen minutes, and we won't have any problems..."

nuff said!

[hamburgerman]

Originally posted by Jeremy Knox

Mike was standing at the checkout counter...


JK13

hi JK13

may i add a suggestion to your example above? keep the action in the present tense. i'd write it like this:

Mike stands at the checkout counter....

i try my best to remove any "to be" verbs whenever possible.

best,
joe grisaffi
www.starshipcomics.com

[FilmDallas]

Hey, it's Joe Grisaffi of "Death and a Salesman" fame. Loved that one. No matter how many times I see it, I still crack up, especially at "She Leased It" and "Wind blowing through your.... hood".

Classic.

And true advice about keeping it in present tense and keeping it as active as possible (not just active voice, but action-type verbs. 'Joe stands' is better than 'Joe is standing', even though both are in present tense). It just usually makes for better reading.

[Deadwrtr]

Originally posted by Furious D
Look up the Writer's Guild Registration program as a way to protect your script. For a fee it's put in a sealed & dated envelope and stored for five years giving some proof of your authorship. Most legit producer's prefer that you send them a WGA reg'd script to ease their minds.


You can also seal your manuscript in an envelope (one of those big hefty ones that will stand the test of time) and mail it to yourself first class through the postal system. The postmark proves the date. Other than the fee you pay to have it sent to you, this is a legal way to protect works that are yours. Just don't open it....

Eric

[GiGi]

My opinion on screenwriting is there is NO ONE CORRECT WAY to do it. However, it is super important that you know the correct method first hand (i.e. from film school, etc.). That way you can develop your own style and find what works for you.

Screenwriting is hell for me. I'm a chick. I'm wordy. Many times I have been asked "why don't you just write a book?" I have serious trouble wanting to show everything with dialogue rather than action. Some days I can see it, some days I just don't get it. Does anyone else have this hell?

I worked my ass off on two scripts and was so proud of them. Then my laptop crashed about 3 months ago, and guess who didnt back them up? Yes, me. Back it up, folks. Maybe it was the guy upstairs giving me a time out or do-over. In trying to recreate them, I realized I wasn't happy. So I have started over writing them in short story or freestyle writing and will go from there. Outlines rock, organization because I am anal. I wish I could stick to standard format, but it doesn't totally work for me. But, ya gotta know it :)

[Adam Hackbarth]

You say there is NO ONE CORRECT WAY... and if you are shooting your own script, I agree with you. But if you plan on selling a spec or entering a scriptwriting competition, you should probably stick to the generally accepted guidlines.

[GiGi]

Doode! You are so right. If you are a screenwriter, period, yes indeed! Thanks for clarifying that. I guess I was pointing more toward development "of" a script and so on. I can blame that rant on ADD. And as far as formatting, all I have to say is thank GOD for Movie Magic!

PS we are like, totally neighbors. What up in the Lou?!

[Jeremy Knox]

...that I started work on my second novel yesterday while I wait for my first one to get the nod and be published :)

I was hot to trot last night too. Wrote 14 pages in 3 hours. That's like 4000 words. I tend to write fast all the time though. I always felt that speed might make me more saleable as an author, so I always wrote like I have a gun to my head.

What's the most you guys have done when you're on a roll?

JK13

PS: Yes, I did make a LOT of mistakes to get those 14 pages done LOL. I must have written 10000 words, then wittled it down, rewrote, erased and edited it to 4000.

[Furious D]

Originally posted by Jeremy Knox

What's the most you guys have done when you're on a roll?

JK13



:DMy personal record was 5000+ words in about 3 1/2 hours when I was writing my first serious novel. But I had a little help since I was writing a novel version of my own unproduced screenplay. So I had all the major plot points and dialogue worked out, but I found myself adding new layers to the characters and more intricate subplots and backstories than in the original script. The rough 1st draft did get some positive feedback from some Sci-Fi fans on the internet and in the New Year I'm going to hack it all to pieces for the 2nd draft and incorporate more of the novel's ideas into the original script.

I also wrote scripts for a 3 issue comic book project and illustrated and coloured issue 1 for a spec-proposal for a comic book company. I did the whole thing in under two months and it almost deep fried my brain.:D

[filmsmyth]

I too am a "struggling" screenwriter...

Someone on this thread asked about what to do after the screenplay has been written...

Here's what I have done... (I've had one screenplay optioned)

1) Make sure all the spelling errors and typos are FIXED. Don't just use your spellchecker... Read it over thoroughly when you're not tired or have someone you trust read it over to find those errors.

2) Make your script look pretty... I like to use 2 brads... One in the top hole; one in the bottom hole... Pretty standard stuff... Along with that I use plain white business card stock as my front and back covers. No writing or printing on the front cover.

1) Copyright the screenplay with the Library of Congress.

2) Register your screenplay with the Writer's Guild (WGA) East or West although I use West.

*NOTE: DO NOT STICK YOUR SCREENPLAY IN AN ENVELOPE AND SEND IT TO YOURSELF OR EVEN TO SOMEONE ELSE! --This is not a legal remedy to protect your work since postmarks can and have been faked. The court will not recognize this as protection of your written property.

3) Go to InkTip.com (http://www.inktip.com) and get an account. You'll have to download, print, and sign a form to activate your account with them... It's free to do this. Then you have to get it in the mail...

4) Once they notify you that your account with them is up and running, upload your script. I think it will cost you $40 but it's well worth it... A lot of scripts posted on InkTip.com are getting purchased and made...

5) In addition to that, my recommendation is to spend some more money and purchase the online version of the Hollywood Creative Directory... Start doing some research and find production companies that have produced films that compare to your screenplay... Then send out emails to them with your logline.

6) Keep a record of all your activity on each script. You don't want to send a production company the same email or query letter twice.

7) NOTES: Before letting ANYONE see your script, you might want to SERIOUSLY CONSIDER having a script analyst check it over... Yes, this will also cost you some extra bucks but can be well worth the extra money... Why? Because how do you REALLY know your script is ready to be read by industry professionals? Unless you've been doing this a while, you don't. At the very least, go out and get some basic reader coverage on it... This way you can see if a reader will give it a PASS or a RECOMMEND. If they give it a pass, then you need to go back to work... I can't recommend a specific reader service, but I understand Coverage-Inc.com (http://www.coverage-inc.com) does a pretty decent job of giving you the standard industry screenplay coverage...

If you'll take these extra steps to get your screenplay ready for industry professionals to read, you might not sell your script but you will have one fucking nice screenplay as a writing sample. Good writing samples can get you some good jobs...

One last word of advice...

The worst thing in the world is to send your screenplay to a Producer and then have that producer call you up and ask you to tell them about your screenplay and or story... You GOTTA be ready for those calls!

You have to be able to PITCH your screenplay to these people even though they've read it... You should be 100% ready to give them an outstanding logline and a 3 minute pitch...

Now this simply adds fuel to the fire... This won't necessarily sell your script however...

Be ready! You will also want to have at least ONE OTHER SCREENPLAY ready to send off... Lots of producers will read your screenplay and wonder if you've written anything else... Most first timers have NOT. That's why you want to have at least 2 screenplays under your belt that are super polished and ready for industry professionals to read... (SEE ABOVE).

You can almost always count on an industry professional asking you if you have anything else they can read... Hence, the reason you want at least one other screenplay ready to read... In fact, you might want to use the weaker script as the lure and the stronger script as the hook.

So to speak...

Good luck!

filmy

[Geo]

I am currently writing my first real screenplay. I’ve written scripts for comicbooks but that about the extent of my technical writing skills. I plan on shooting this on Digital Video, so the project is more than just writing, but before I start spending money and getting people involved I need to have a finished script. Also the movie deals with some copyrighted material that I would have to submit to the copyright holder (which I already have a means to).

Here’s is my main issue at this point. The story is very ensemble cast. It’s in the same genre as Reality Bites, Empire Records, and Mallrats (perhaps associating any idea to Mallrats may not be the brightest idea on earth, the audience I’m going for would get the reference). Now my biggest issue is not introducing the 7 member cast or even the characters or relationships. Where I’m having issue is in the “second act” where the characters are going through events and it becomes a balancing act of pacing it quickly but not losing people with so many characters to watch/keep track of.

Its backbone is that of a romantic comedy. The main plot is a love story with an ex girlfriend antagonist so it’s simple. The sub plot involving the whole group takes a back seat to the love story, and then there are minor sub plots with the characters to round them out. Everyone ends up with a favorite character in these types of movies regardless of the narrative thread. It’s the secondary characters that people end up loving (Jay and Silent Bob, Warren from Empire Records) so I’m trying to develop them a bit as well (but no where near as developed as the two main leads).

With so much going on I’m having issues. Most films the main characters are the device so at least one of them are in every scene, but the classic ensemble cast movies have up to 4-5 minutes of screen time without the leads.

Any advice on this will be appreciated. What did you love about those films? Have you written anything like that? Why did Mallrats bomb?

The few people I’ve told about the script are very excited about working on it but I insist on having it totally written before the first step to production be taken. Paper is cheaper than film (as was already stated before on this thread).

[filmsmyth]

I recommend watching "The Big Chill" to see how an ensemble type story is successfully done... Of course, you would be updating it for your specific needs...

My favorite ensemble films are those that always have elements within the film that causes all the subplots to intersect at some point. It doesn't have to be the same for all subplots of course, but it sure seems like the most successful films of this type have some kind of related segway that comes full circle...

In other words, the subplots are very much like short films in the beginning... And having said that... Maybe all the way to the end of that subplot... But your main plot of the film should somehow PULL TOGETHER all the subplots by the end of the story.

Don't make them separate... They can even appear to be separate but the audience will certainly appreciate you tying up the loose ends by the end of the story...

Then everyone goes "Yeah... I get it now..." Makes for a much better film...

Kind of like having twists in an action or thriller without having to actually plot out a mysterious plot...

Good luck with it...

filmy

[Geo]

That was a fast reply!! It's been a while since I watched "The Big Chill", that will be on my viewing list this week. I've been watching all the films in this genre (sub culture, youth movies). The commentaries don't really touch on my questions oddly enough.

What I have so far is the secondary plot being the one the involves the group. The conflict that the group goes through (like losing the record store in Empire Records) may work for the device that you’re talking about.

I like the idea of thinking of each of the sub plots as shorts themselves. I think I'll write each of the 3 sub plots into separate synopses and then go back to the script itself with those as ammo for the second act.

As I was thinking about my questions I decided I probably should start a separate thread for them. I'm going to do that now.

Thank you very much for the fast and VERY useful reply!!!!

Geo

[planetmoon8]

FastEddie (and everyone else) -

I'd written several scripts with some decent feedback from fellow writers I knew and some writing teachers, but nothing helped more than joining an actual screenwriters group.

I know that some are better than others, so you might have to look around for one that suits your needs. Some bring in high level producers and writers to talk to the group while others focus more on peer evaluation.

I think you mentioned living in Austin. That's where I am and if you get the chance, come to the Austin Screenwriters Group. We meet the first and third Saturday at Bookpeople. Each time, a writer brings in a full script, we read through it, and spend an hour discussing it.

I've had three readings and the advice and feedback have turned mediocre scripts into award-winning scripts. I can't give enough praise to this wonderful group and I know that many cities across the country have groups like this.

So that's my advice, for what it's worth...

[fasteddie]

hey planet,

thats good to hear. ive been wondering about that group. getting up early on saturday isnt really my forte but i'll definitely check it out.

[erbenz]

film threat should start a free screenwriters group

[Furious D]

Here's something that you'll find both fun and educational. Try your hand at PIRANHA GUN 2: SON OF PIRANHA GUN, our second FT Forums chain script. Check it out, check out the first Piranha Gun as well and feel free to join in on PG2. The more the merrier.:D

[Rory L. Aronsky]

Alcohol is optional, but also recommended if you want to try your hand at Piranha Gun II. If it ever gets produced, it'll be even more fun.

[Furious D]

Originally posted by Rory L. Aronsky
Alcohol is optional, but also recommended if you want to try your hand at Piranha Gun II. If it ever gets produced, it'll be even more fun.

That's not a very nice judgement of all our hard work.:mad:

I've written all my contributions to the Piranha Gun scripts in a state of zen like clarity buzzed on nothing more than love and lots of caffeine.

I say don't knock it until you try it. Come on, contribute to PG2 if you think you've got the chops! :p :p

[Rory L. Aronsky]

I wasn't knocking it, per say. I was just commenting that maybe just once or twice, a tequila or two played a part. Nevertheless, I DO like the screenplay. Let's face it, it's better than a lot of the Hollywood junk that thousands of screenwriters pound out on their computer keyboards, actually believing that it's filmable.

[El Duderino Diablo]

Originally posted by Rory L. Aronsky
I was just commenting that maybe just once or twice, a tequila or two played a part.

Tequila?
For my part, never.
Rum, on the other hand...

[Furious D]

Originally posted by Rory L. Aronsky
I wasn't knocking it, per say. I was just commenting that maybe just once or twice, a tequila or two played a part. Nevertheless, I DO like the screenplay. Let's face it, it's better than a lot of the Hollywood junk that thousands of screenwriters pound out on their computer keyboards, actually believing that it's filmable.

Then join in dammit! That's why I was busting your balls earlier I was throwing down the gauntlet, trying to get a little friendly competition going!

We need as many people as we can to contribute to the ongoing adventures of Brian Borman, Smyth, Cracky, Yuki and Pinhead. So I want everybody reading this post to join in and see in what crazy directions we can go!

...oooohhh....my screen is so shiny.....tee-hee....tee-hee....;)