Sunday, October 22, 2006
MY SCENE CHECKLIST
I call it the Yellow Sheet, because the original is purple ink on one sheet of yellow paper. I check it over and over again during a writing session, to keep the essential elements of the scene uppermost in my mind.
Get in as late as possible, get out as early as possible. No ramp.
Motivate all entrances and exits w/in the logic of the story.
Immediately follow each scene header w/ an action line. The dp must know what image is to be shot. Actors, crew etc. must know who's in the scene.
What can you do without?
Watch for on the nose dialogue and overexplaining.
Avoid repetition, eliminate redundancy.
People talk to get what they want. What does each person want in the scene?
What makes each character unique - the combo of dialogue and action that clearly delineates each character?
Each scene is a ministory with a begin, middle, and end. Think of each scene as a 2 pg short story.
Have each scene build to an emotional peak.
Know what each person is thinking and feeling at each moment in a scene.
Each character in a scene is the hero of his or her own drama.
Begin each scene in the middle of a confrontation involving a main character.
I call it the Yellow Sheet, because the original is purple ink on one sheet of yellow paper. I check it over and over again during a writing session, to keep the essential elements of the scene uppermost in my mind.
Get in as late as possible, get out as early as possible. No ramp.
Motivate all entrances and exits w/in the logic of the story.
Immediately follow each scene header w/ an action line. The dp must know what image is to be shot. Actors, crew etc. must know who's in the scene.
What can you do without?
Watch for on the nose dialogue and overexplaining.
Avoid repetition, eliminate redundancy.
People talk to get what they want. What does each person want in the scene?
What makes each character unique - the combo of dialogue and action that clearly delineates each character?
Each scene is a ministory with a begin, middle, and end. Think of each scene as a 2 pg short story.
Have each scene build to an emotional peak.
Know what each person is thinking and feeling at each moment in a scene.
Each character in a scene is the hero of his or her own drama.
Begin each scene in the middle of a confrontation involving a main character.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Fine post from The Film Diva on pleasing our best friend and worst enemy, the reader:
http://filmdiva.blogspot.com/2006/10/coverage-tips.html
http://filmdiva.blogspot.com/2006/10/coverage-tips.html
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Shawna over at Shouting into the Wind gives a rundwon on the best TV shows to spec, that is, to write sample scripts as audition pieces to get jobs on other TV shows. She covers the territory exceptionally well. I do disagree about the viability of CSI vegas specs. People are sick of reading them.
And she loves us. All of us.
Shouting into the Wind: Hot Specs
And she loves us. All of us.
Shouting into the Wind: Hot Specs
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Have your doubts about screenwriting gurus? Try before you buy. Michael Farrand's Magic Star of Dramatic Writing is a short guide to several of the gurus advice on concept, character, story, dialogue, and action. Also see his sections on Screenwriting and Story Dynamics.
http://www.empirecontact.com/magicstar/concept.html
http://www.empirecontact.com/magicstar/character.html
http://www.empirecontact.com/magicstar/story.html
http://www.empirecontact.com/magicstar/dialogue.html
http://www.empirecontact.com/magicstar/action.html
http://www.empirecontact.com/magicstar/concept.html
http://www.empirecontact.com/magicstar/character.html
http://www.empirecontact.com/magicstar/story.html
http://www.empirecontact.com/magicstar/dialogue.html
http://www.empirecontact.com/magicstar/action.html
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
John Rogers and assorted readers with tricks for getting past doubt and hesitation to "FADE OUT". The tricks can get you through a slow writing session in the same way that a knuckleball can get a pitcher through an inning.
"Based on a quick discussion among writers -- what's your knuckleball? The little trick you use that seems to have made life easier, smoothes your process, but as far as you know isn't widespread."
http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2006/10/writing-knuckleball.html
"Based on a quick discussion among writers -- what's your knuckleball? The little trick you use that seems to have made life easier, smoothes your process, but as far as you know isn't widespread."
http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2006/10/writing-knuckleball.html
Monday, October 16, 2006
Fine post from an underappreciated blogger, Charles Deemer. Playwright, screenwriter, college instructor, Deemer offers an antidote to the boosterism and feel good rhetoric favored by screenwriting gurus and the false encouragement industry.
http://cdeemer.blogspot.com/2006/10/beginning-screenwriters-in-buyers.html
Also, spec script style in a nutshell:
http://www.ibiblio.org/cdeemer/specscript.htm
http://cdeemer.blogspot.com/2006/10/beginning-screenwriters-in-buyers.html
Also, spec script style in a nutshell:
http://www.ibiblio.org/cdeemer/specscript.htm
