Write a Screenplay in One Month: Week Zero
by Jaden
photo credit: preciouskhyatt
For the month of August, I will pursue a self-imposed challenge to write a script within one month.
Interested in a perilous journey full of procrastination, fatigue, and freaking out? ‘Cause that’s what we’re talking about here.
If you would like to join me and write your own script, that would be splendid; I will help you the best I can. I, too, could use your encouragement.
The majority of deadlines for the top screenwriting competitions are in May and June, so you will have plenty of months to perfect your script. At some point, I will compile and list the best money-awarding, agent-grabbing, legitimate contests you ought to enter.
Let’s get started writing a screenplay.
1. Buy a screenwriting book.
The first book I ever had and am still fond of is Michael Hauge’s Writing Screenplays That Sell. If you don’t have time to read a book, Hauge also put out a highly rated 3 CD set called Screenwriting for Hollywood to which you may listen while sitting in traffic, watching the kids, or cleaning the house.
Another Hollywood screenwriting insider bible for story structure and character, the information from which you may apply toward any type of storytelling, is The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Originally written in the 1940s, this exciting mythological story breakdown has guided such greats as George Lucas and Steven Spielberg to enormous success.
2. Brainstorm.
While you are doing your menial tasks of the day, think! Pick a story from your mental repository and start thinking about the characters’ traits, a story arch, twists, turns, and surprises you want to include.
3. Write a treatment and/or outline.
A treatment will be 2 to 30 pages, a short story version of your screenplay written in prose. This will be your guide. You may also write an outline if you want; this would be a bullet point list of scenes.
4. Flesh out your treatment into a screenplay.
Use your screenwriting book to guide you on format or go to my resources section to see scripts and formatting. You may also type keywords into my search box or go to vocabulary to find answers to your questions. Whether you have a book or not, go to Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences for precise formatting tips and examples.
I will be back next week to tell you how far I am with my script and to answer any questions you have and help you with yours. Considering I am working some heavy hours and have family in town all weekend, the first week will be difficult indeed.
My script will be a comedy. The story structure will be modeled after a successful old story that was a favorite of my father’s. I already know the title, which is two words, and the main course of events to ensue. My main challenge will be to write funny lines of dialog.
I hope you will join me for this adventure. I am happy to help you along the way. Good luck folks!
FLASH FORWARD: Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four
Sunday Picture Post 21 / Top 3 Elements of a Great Story
photo credit: Parksy1964
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:
- A title for this movie
- 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.
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SCREENWRITING TIP OF THE DAY: TOP 3 ELEMENTS OF A GREAT STORY
Dirtbag’s top 3 are:
1. Relating to characters
2. Time: is it past, present, or future?
3. The reveal, how the story unfolds and flow
Jaden’s top 3 are:
1. Originality
2. Believability
3. Caring about the characters
The Shakespeare special:
1. Relatable characters with strengths and weaknesses
2. Death, life, and power struggle
3. Clever writing, playing on words and history
What are your top 3 elements that make for a great story?
Sunday Picture Post 20 / Home Sweet Home
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:
- A title for this movie
- 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: HOME SWEET HOME
When writing a story, it is suggested to start the story with the main character in his or her original, natural, and regular environment. This creates contrast when the character goes on a journey. It shows why the journey is so important to this character and to you the viewer.
For instance, if we see a character has grown up poor, and now he is the richest man in the world, it builds sympathy for the character, whether the character is kind or cruel.
Take Miss Universe and say that now she is a burn victim.
Maybe it is an animal character who is the star, and his regular environment is one of abuse and food deprivation, but he breaks free. After being caught by the pound, a nice family saves him.
Two classic examples stand out in my mind: 1) Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, and 2) Alice in Wonderland. They are both introduced in their normal world and then go into their fantasy world. We relate to their normal world. We go on the exciting journey with them as they enter the unknown. The set-up provides relief when they finally return home.
To care about your story, the audience needs to care about your lead character. To care about your character, the audience needs to sympathize. One good way to create sympathy is by showing from where he, she, or it came.
An ‘it’ hero can be a car or a robot. Successful ‘it’ characters also have a back history and a place they call home.
Think about your favorite movie; did the author apply this writing technique?
Viva la VHS Revolution!
by Jaden
The home movie question of the 1980s was: VHS or Beta?
In the 1990s, the answer came: DVD.
Want to pinch some pennies and have the movie collection of a millionaire?
VHS players and VHS movies are going to the dumps in truck loads.
For 10 bucks, you can buy someone else’s used VHS player through free online selling sources like Craigslist. 15 bucks will get you a DVD / VHS player combined. For about $20, you can also get a nice television too, which will come along with a few free channels to watch.
At your local thrift stores, you can pick up VHS movies in the range of 25 cents to two dollars.
Many VHS movies may never make their way to DVD. What a shame for you to miss them.
I don’t know about where you live, but in America, our unemployment is rising and so is the cost of gas. Going back to VHS is a really fun and exciting way to save money. Gives you something to do on the weekends: go VHS hunting.
Every night is movie night in my home. Pop some corn, melt some butter, and toss some cinnamon sugar on it… yummmmmm.
So tell me, what is your preference for watching movies at home: VHS, DVD, or Internet download?
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Trivia: See if you can guess which girl I am in this music video by the band VHS or Beta. The song is called, “You Got Me.” Don’t blink!
A special guest star in the video is Alex Ebert, the lead singer of one of my favorite bands, Ima Robot; he plays the delivery man. I credit Alex for bringing the 1980s mullet hairstyle back in the early 2000s; way to go buddy.
Chick Flick Script 2008: Hellboy II
by Jaden
For all the men who would not go with their wives or girlfriends to see Sex and the City, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is payback!
The exciting action-filled movie opens strong with the back story, then rolls into current day.
The costumes, sets, cinematography, computer graphic imaging, and soundtrack are spectacular.
Most outstanding about Hellboy II are the physical details and lively personalities of the many fantasy characters.
All the sci-fi costumes of the world don’t cloak the oozing warm love goo of Hellboy II.
SPOILERS to follow…
With two and half romances melting the 110-minute movie, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is the ultimate sappy paperback romance of clichéd screenplays.
The half romance is the incestuous one between Prince Nuada (sexy Luke Goss) and his twin sister (pretty Anna Walton) from whom he is trying to get the missing piece of the golden crown (if ya know what I mean) so that he may command the invincible golden army to defeat humanity — the main story thread of the movie.
Co-workers knockin’ boots are Hellboy (indubitably played by Ron Perlman) and his sensitive fire babe (Selma Blair).
Hellboy’s genius buddy, Abe Sapien the water guy (Doug Jones), falls in love with the princess.
So there you have your two and a half romances that consume the bulk of the movie.
One romance can be one too many, but 2.5 romances? A lengthy sing-along to “Can’t Smile Without You,” giving up the planet for a chick, and the “you’re going to be a father” line? Ouch! Save my bleeding heart.
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