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In the Spotlight
Sunday Picture Post 4 / Tip: Focus
For The Sunday Picture Post, we are going to flip upside-down the saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Thousands of words are great if you are writing a novel, but if you are writing a screenplay, you need to do the opposite and be as concise as possible.
Each Sunday I will post a picture. For your screenwriting practice in brevity, in the comments section, please post one or all of the following:
- 1 word describing the theme, mood, or scene
- 1 sentence to describe the scene
- A pitch to sell the entire movie
The more colorful and creative you are, the better! Use any genre.
A good screenwriter is laconic, using a few words to say a lot.
SCREENWRITING TIP OF THE DAY: FOCUS
Most writers have one thing in common in that they think too much.
When you write a screenplay, it is easy to get lost in your fantastic ideas and lose focus on what you set out to write. Don’t!
Stay focused.
Choose one of your best ideas. Draw up an outline. Come up with some strong subplots that you will enjoy writing and can carry your characters through the entire story. Everything must make sense with the main plot.
Whether you have a simple love story or a complex murder mystery, whatever you write, it must rotate around a central axis.
Don’t put in any dialog or actions just because you think they are clever. If it doesn’t have something to do with the main story, get rid of it. Your script needs to be tight.
When people watch movies, their brains actively try to piece together the story and make sense of what you are revealing to them. If you have unnecessary scenes, the audience is going to be frustrated, wondering why you have entered scenes or dialog that have nothing to do with the story.
Chances are, an unfocused script won’t be bought and no one will see it anyway. If your script is all over the place, going on a bunch of unexplained tangents, it will not sell.
The one thing all selling scripts (whether you like them or not) have in common is that they are focused.
Think of your script as a train on a track. You want to get from A to Z. Maybe you are doing a circular story and you are going A to Z and back to A again. Don’t get derailed. Stay on the track you selected to get to your destination. Make the necessary stops along the way that will get you there. Pick up some passengers. Drop off some. Get more fuel. Whatever. Stay on track. If you are going to Pittsburg with your dad, don’t suddenly pop up in Miami with your chihuahua. It makes no sense.
When you start going off on an unrelated tangent, you need to realize it, reverse, and get back on track.
Everything you write, ask yourself: Is this getting me to where I need to go with this story? Am I making a point, building character or story suspense? By adding in this dialog or this scene, will it pay off later? If not, toss it and write something more fitting.
Married… Buried: Let Go The Ones You Love
by Jaden
Oh, you lovely romantics, I’m not talking about marriage in the spousal coital sense of marriage (though some of my points apply), I am talking about marriage in the creative writing sense of betrothing your ideas.
When a person first starts writing, they think every thought is precious and should go untouched. It is a common problem.
Marrying unfitting ideas is shoveling dirt on your characters’ graves. Let your characters breath. Be open to change.
The sooner you let go your first ideas, the sooner you will break ground to better ideas.
One time, I went to a panel discussion with the writers and voices of The Simpsons, a television show that I respect more than any other for its unending exploration of ideas and mastery of comedy. As I have witnessed with successful projects, the writers were a glowing, happy, excited bunch of people, even after ten years of working together.
The best advice I received from The Simpsons team was that of being able to let go of ideas, even the ones you love. If not every one of the twenty writers in the room is on the floor laughing, the joke does not make it to screen.
Here, you have a room full of writers throwing out joke after joke, each time being met with rejection. Each joke has to be focused on the main story of the episode, in line with the overall theme of the show, and truthful to the characters.
Maybe one guy has lots of good jokes and another guy only interjects one fantastic joke every so often. Each writer has their own strengths and weaknesses. Not every joke put on the table will be accepted. Quite the opposite, everyone has to agree for the joke to survive.
When you are writing alone, there is no one to disagree with you. If you are in doubt about something you have written, that means it is probably really bad, so cut it. As hard as you think you are on yourself, Hollywood will be much harder.
It is irrational to think every thought you have is ingenious. No professional writer thinks this way. All professional writers cut massive amounts of ideas and wording.
Anyone scared to edit will not write an interesting sellable script.
Your first ideas are going to be common and unoriginal. Don’t marry your ideas. Don’t marry your script. Be open to change. Explore every possibility until you have found exciting and unique ideas.
You will know when your story and characters really click, they will take on a magical life of their own. Don’t tell your characters what to say, let them tell you.
When creative writing, escape your ego. Let your mind travel to a strange preternatural place. You might feel a little crazy, but therein lies enchantment.
Liberate yourself from inharmonious ideas to allow your story and characters to flow freely.
Sunday Picture Post 3 / Tip: Int./Ext.
For The Sunday Picture Post, we are going to flip upside-down the saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Thousands of words are great if you are writing a novel, but if you are writing a screenplay, you need to do the opposite and be as concise as possible.
Each Sunday I will post a picture. For your screenwriting practice in brevity, in the comments section, please post one or all of the following:
- 1 word describing the theme, mood, or scene
- 1 sentence to describe the scene
- A pitch to sell the entire movie
The more colorful and creative you are, the better! Use any genre.
A good screenwriter is laconic, using a few words to say a lot.
SCREENWRITING TIP OF THE DAY: INTERIOR / EXTERIOR
The above image in a tunnel could be written in several different ways. Here are just a few.
INT. CAR — NIGHT
From Jan’s perspective we follow the culprit through the tunnel.
(Here we are in the car with Jan driving through the tunnel and anywhere else that is indicated. We do not see Jan, maybe just the hands and legs. )
INT. CAR — DAY
Jay bangs on the steering wheel in frustration from being blinded by the sudden dimness of the tunnel as Speedy gets away.
(We see Jay and Jay’s driving perspective too.)
INT. TUNNEL — NIGHT
As Jed’s 20-foot SUV runs out of gas, Bad Guy speeds down the tunnel and escapes.
(We see both vehicles from a wide shot outside perspective.)
INT. TUNNEL — DAWN
Dazed and confused, standing in the middle of the road, James is relieved to see the morning sun rise at the other end of the long tunnel.
(From an outside perspective, we see James standing in the middle of the road and some light at the end of the tunnel.)
EXT. TUNNEL — NIGHT
Scared of the lights in the tunnel, the aliens retreat. Jean drives to safety in the center of the tunnel.
(In this one, we see from a wide shot as the aliens stop their pursuit outside of the tunnel, and Jean continues driving into the tunnel.)
Some kind of lighting and reflectors are usually used during filming whether it is night or day, inside or outside. INTERIOR and NIGHT scene headings signal that special lighting equipment will be required for that shot. EXTERIOR signals to take weather precautions.
The language and formatting of screenwriting is not only to convey an image onto the screen, but it is also to inform the film production crew of the requirements they will need to accomplish their job: lighting, sound, wardrobe, actors, vehicles, weather, location, and more.
The Agent Trap
by Jaden
Agents and lawyers have a bad rap for being megalomaniacs.
Just like in any group, the few extremists give the rest a bad name.
I have heard stories about agents who curse, yell, and throw things at their assistants. As fun as that sounds, when it is unwelcome, it can break down a person’s good spirit.
Agencies are like fraternities; they do some heavy hazing before they let agent-hopefuls climb the ranks.
Although agents get away with a lot of bad behavior, there are lots of people like me who take note and would never give the brash ones my business.
One time, I was working in the entertainment legal department of a television network. Some young flunky lawyer who thought he was a hotshot agent was trying to play hardball with the old school attorney for whom I worked.
On behalf of the network, we were negotiating with the representatives of the actor for our television show pilot. Because the agreement is a seriously detailed seven-year binding contract between the actor and the network, often sensitive negotiations go right up until the audition time.
The actor is not allowed to audition if the agreement is not signed.
After weeks of negotiation, this nobody agent was still arguing over some silly detail for his nobody teenage actress, something like whether there would be one or two doors on her trailer. Whatever it was, it was a detail that the company didn’t allow to be changed even for big name actors. As the agent was busy making unrealistic demands over the phone, the strict audition time passed for the poor little girl who was sitting out in the lobby.
As this was a one-shot deal, another actress was chosen and the TV show went on to great success. Many years have passed since then. This sweet and talented actress, who was the number one choice for the show, never landed any other major roles because she had a cocky no-good agent.
After everyone had gone home, this guy calls me back and asks for the Vice President. I say, “She’s left for the day. The auditions are over. Your client missed it.”
The agent says to me, “You’re lying. Put your boss on the phone.”
Talk about dumb arrogance! What could I do? There was no boss to put on the phone. We weren’t playing games with him, like he was with us. Our group was a straight shootin’ bunch. We honestly did what we reasonably could for this actress.
When the rest of the legal team came back the next day, we all had a good laugh about this agent’s illusions of grandeur. Other lawyers had a few stories to share about him too. And I can tell you, I told all my friends in the industry to avoid dealing with this guy.
The day was done! The cast had already been selected for our TV show, and here’s this guy calling me a liar, and still trying to make demands. He had no idea how to do his job or what was the process.
A bad agent can ruin a person’s entire career. Sometimes, a golden opportunity comes once in a lifetime.
As a writer or actor, your name can be tarnished by those who represent you. You must choose wisely. Never be desperate about selecting your representation. Be confident that you are valuable and that you want to work with someone who is worthy of you. Keep in mind that any money you make from your hard work, your agent gets 10-20% of it. Don’t pick a jerk who doesn’t deserve it!
In this case, it was the perfect role for this girl and the director wanted her specifically. If your rep blows it for you — that’s it! Game over. We, at the network, all felt terrible for this young actress, but there was nothing we could do for her.
Being a dolt does not serve the agent or the client or anyone else involved. Rude behavior never wins.
You can play hardball with good manners. “No, I am sorry we cannot accept that offer. We want two doors and ten mirrors in the trailer. If you change your mind, call me. It has been a real pleasure negotiating with you.”
Before saying something like that, and before flushing a client’s career down the toilet for some extra doors and mirrors, agents and lawyers ought to do their homework. Find out whether your demands are realistic or not. Ask your co-workers at your agency.
In this agent’s case, plenty of his co-workers had done similar deals with our network. Asking a few people, he would have found out that even higher paid, more notable, actors had not received that for which he was demanding.
Not only did the young actress miss a huge opportunity, but also the agent/lawyer (he was some kind of crossbreed) lost out on his 15% of her money for the next seven years!
There are lots of other negative ways a client is seriously affected by their agent’s rude behavior, but legally, I can’t share that information. Just know that it is better for all parties to play it safe and be nice!
Choose representation that will reflect positively on you, someone who has your best interests in mind, not someone who is blowing air into his inflatable ego. When you are making money, the agent is making money. Sometimes, it seems like agents forget that.
ADVICE TO AGENTS AND LAWYERS:
Treat every person with respect.
Never make absurd accusations or demands.
Do your homework.
Say “please” and “thank you.”
Bikini Soccer: Muddy Sexy Asian Girls Movie
by Jaden
Browsing other film sites, I came across this sexy ad on 7MilesDown, and I just had to share it with you. We are guessing this ad is Japanese or Chinese; we have no idea what it says, but it’s hot! We are hoping it is a real Bikini Soccer movie. If it has not been made, it should be!
While I am on the topic of Asian soccer movies, I loved the movie Shaolin Soccer 
If anyone has any information on this sexy bikini soccer ad or speaks whatever Asiatic language is written there, please explain. In the meantime, we will just enjoy the fantasy of this mystery ad.
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