The Screenwriting Thread

[eXperiment]

HELLO!

To all you aspiring Hollywood screenwriters (or even the Indie among us) I invite you to "The Screenwriting Thread"

Rules:
There is only one: You must post in screenplay format from here on (April 13, 2008)
-Tell us of your experience.
-Post articles, interviews etc about screenwriting and screenwriters
-Give advice.
-Discuss the latest scripts you've read
-Do what you please (just keep it to the topic)


Submitted By eXperiment:
http://johnaugust.com/ (a wonderful blog for the aspiring screenwriter)
http://www.filmscriptwriting.com/ (a resource I found very helpful)

Submitted By enterthemadness:
http://www.screenwriting.info/#script-styles
http://www.simplyscripts.com/WR_format.html
http://www.scriptwritingsecrets.com/contents.htm
http://www.mythmakerjohn.com/craft_notes.htm

[MrShifty]

I just got into screenwriting and I really want to go to school for screenwriting, I enjoy writing my own movies very much. Any advice would be awesome!

[eXperiment]

I am currently working on my first screenplay. Yet, don't think of me as naive. I have been studying for about three years and have written numerous short stories as well. I am experienced as a writer, but have just dug into screenwriting also. I have found one site, in particular, very resourceful.

http://johnaugust.com/

I hope that John's blog will aid you as much as it has aided me.

[MrShifty]

thanks bro

[eXperiment]

Glad to be of assistance.

[enterthemadness]

Here are some links about screenwriting.

http://www.screenwriting.info/#script-styles

http://www.simplyscripts.com/WR_format.html

http://www.scriptwritingsecrets.com/contents.htm

http://www.mythmakerjohn.com/craft_notes.htm

Hope these help people out.

[jaymes_e06]

I'm starting my first high concept movie script. I actually took a class for screenwriting in highschool and that was very helpful. I hope to become a script writer but it is very tedious work.

[enterthemadness]

Originally Posted by jaymes_e06

I'm starting my first high concept movie script. I actually took a class for screenwriting in highschool and that was very helpful. I hope to become a script writer but it is very tedious work.

Very hard to get into. And screenwriters are easy to replace, unless you write movies that do well in theaters or something. What I mean by that...is that scripts are re-written a lot. And not always by the same writer.

[eXperiment]

Jaymes,
You're lucky! I wish that my high school had a screenwriting course. What did they teach you?

PS: Thank you enterthemadness, for the links. I'll be sure to check them out later. :star:

[jaymes_e06]

We had the general teachings of how to compose it and had a special program in our computers to do so. At the end of the year we had to make a film! It had to come complete with script and and even storyboards. The class taught me so much! I'm extremly blessed because I'm a graphic design major now and the class even touched on Photoshop and I'm doing really well in that now.

[eXperiment]

Wow! Excellent! Good for you! You should definitely be proud. If you don't mind my asking, are you currently working on any film projects? If so, would you be willing to specify?

[Gotham]

What does everyone use for writing their screenplays? Final Draft, Microsoft Word, Pen and Paper or Movie Magic Screenwriter?

I'm an avid user of Movie Magic Screenwriter.

[jaymes_e06]

Originally Posted by eXperiment

Wow! Excellent! Good for you! You should definitely be proud. If you don't mind my asking, are you currently working on any film projects? If so, would you be willing to specify?

I could maybe tell you about the project I'm working on in a PM but even then it gets a little scetchy because there are laws: who made this and who didn't if you were to claim the idea for your own.

[jaymes_e06]

Originally Posted by Gotham

What does everyone use for writing their screenplays? Final Draft, Microsoft Word, Pen and Paper or Movie Magic Screenwriter?

I'm an avid user of Movie Magic Screenwriter.

I am about to buy FD but funds are low as of now so I have to wait. FD is what I used in my Highschool class.

[Gotham]

Originally Posted by jaymes_e06

I am about to buy FD but funds are low as of now so I have to wait. FD is what I used in my Highschool class.

I had used Final Draft up until this latest patch, which didn't bode well with me. I opted for Movie Magic Screenwriter -- which's definitely working better for me.

[jaymes_e06]

^^^Really? I should look into that.

[Rain Dog]

Celtx is pretty good. Plus, it's free.

[Gotham]

Originally Posted by raindog13

Celtx is pretty good. Plus, it's free.

I used Celtx and it's a nice program. I've some horror stories about writing past page ninety, and Celtx deleting the file. Work diminished. Final Draft automatically saves the file after about fifteen minutes of writing. Then again, Celtx is an amazing program for starting out, and I loved it.

[eXperiment]

Originally Posted by jaymes_e06

I could maybe tell you about the project I'm working on in a PM but even then it gets a little scetchy because there are laws: who made this and who didn't if you were to claim the idea for your own.

I respect that, don't worry about it then.

[eXperiment]

Update on first post!

[Prison Mike]

I've been thinking about writing for some time now. How long has it taken you guys to write your first draft?

[enterthemadness]

Originally Posted by Gotham

What does everyone use for writing their screenplays? Final Draft, Microsoft Word, Pen and Paper or Movie Magic Screenwriter?

I'm an avid user of Movie Magic Screenwriter.

I use Movie Magic Screenwriter. Not the latest version though, which just came out I think.

Originally Posted by k18

I've been thinking about writing for some time now. How long has it taken you guys to write your first draft?

Um, first drafts don't take long for me. About a month depending on the time I have to put into it. I plan longhand before the first draft, putting the scenes down, some quick dialouge, characters. After the first draft I do a re-write or two, or more. Depends on how bad I want the script to be good enough to sell.

[Gotham]

Originally Posted by k18

I've been thinking about writing for some time now. How long has it taken you guys to write your first draft?

I usually write my first draft within a week and a half, then a month of revising. Then again, I'm only working on that one screenplay, and not twenty other ones.

[eXperiment]

On average, it probably takes me about a month and a half. Although, I like to get nearly every bit of info down in my first draft, then I revise over about another month.

[Prison Mike]

wow, I guess it's the planning part that takes long. I'm still in the planning phase like sorting my characters, scenes, events, etc... I won't start my first draft for a while though.