Another week down and another update in. Breaking headline of the week:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOVELY WIFE!
and
110 pages is the new 120!
What? Just when I honed the script to 120, omitting spaces and some lines in the process?? But we were told that whitespace in between action lines made it easier on the eyes, and an easy read. And I'm not bumping out the margins, or tightening the line spacing. But, I might have to if this keeps up.
Polishing continues, and I was able to spend an entire day on the topics of logline, query letter, and synopisis. A logline for a rom-com with several sub-plots is not an easy thing, in all of the above I don't want to give away the ending.
What do I really want to say in a query? Well, it's different from what I will send, but here's how I feel.
Bigass Productions
123 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
90210
Dear Director of Development,
I have busted my ass on a screenplay that I would like to submit for your consideration.
"TITLE HERE" is the story of "PROTAGONIST", a "BACKSTORY" and "OCCUPATION", who suffers from extreme "FIXATION" but ends up finding a way to use it to his advantage. It's never been done.<--(in edit, I wonder how many fools put that one on, OMG!)
I'm a full-time aspiring screenwriter and a published newspaper columnist. A devout follower of the teachings of Rossio and August, I follow strict protocol on screenwriting trends, which means there are no camera angles or parantheticals to bore you in the read. Action and description is cut to the minimum and spaced, and I actually follow a three-act structure. I'm sure you will enjoy it-- and make tons of money if you produce it.
Drop me a line and I'll fire this sucker to ya.
Peace out,
Brian Burke
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Nah, nah... don't you ever!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteThe first part of your query is a way cool, but the second paragraph will kill you!
Don't write "aspiring"... so it's obvious, you're an absolute beginner. Write something like you've been studying it for so-and-so years (even if you taught it all yourself, you've been studying the field). Don't write that you've been following a strict protocol and you omit camera angles etc. - you don't have to tell them that, because you're the assumed professional writer and so, OF COURSE, you won't have any angles and stuff in your script - you don't have to TEACH them, but CONVINCE them.
Okay... I just took that query for serious... pardon me! ;)
Another crazy way is to just write "BUY IT OR ELSE...!!!" which gives them no other choice, except if they're curious about the outcome, ha.
Hehe, yep it was more an example of what not to do, but can guide the misleaded, if they get it, lol.
ReplyDeleteI do have one together, nothing like this, the typical boilerplate stuff-- boring!
I sent some off starting with a catchy question. Hope it'll do it ;)
ReplyDeleteI hope it works, Sarah!!
ReplyDelete