Just checked out a site recently, inktip.com, where you can upload a bio, logline, query, treatment, and script for $60. They claim to background check the companies they give access to, in other words, it is not a free view for all out there.
They also claim over 53 production deals from the site, and a current record of approximately one deal a mo0nth. For the price, in comparison to the cost of sending queries, I think it is worth some strong consideration.
The other plus is being able to access a log which shows who has been reading your script. Post your thoughts.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
SCREENWRITER'S UPDATE - EIGHTY SEVEN DAYS IN
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
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
Thursday, October 29, 2009
WRITE A GOOD SCRIPT
Find something to write about, anything, just do it.
If it's humor, make it funny, with interesting characters that have quirky traits, a story that is going somewhere, give it a theme. A plot is good, essential, but give us a theme we're interested in, something we can relate to or admire.
Be the expert, in your area of expertise. You're probably more interesting than you think, but only in certain ways. If you're a stock clerk, I want to know what goes on between the aisles and behind that door that says "Staff Only". I really don't want to read your script or see your film about a guy who builds an incredible weapon we've never heard of before, because we probably heard of it before. And if you just have to write that thing, do your research, lots of it.
Keep the action and description short, I've got an imagination, you know? If I have to draw a diagram to figure out how the "x-machine" looks then you've lost the point of using that as a prop in the first place. Just make it look like an ordinary pen, and when you click it, you're transported in time, I can vision that, plus it's cost effective for production.
Give us some dialogue, meaningful stuff, don't just write it to fill pages, don't waste our time. If you're hurting for material just go somewhere and strike up conversation with a stranger, and annotate their traits, how they speak, what they talk about. People will usually try saying something important, or make an observation that is no new observation, and that alone is interesting or funny-- not in the way they think it is though. We like to poke fun at people in this manner, it's human nature.
Make it a good ending. Some people say that's the hardest thing to do but if you have a good outline you should know where it's going. If you don't know, then tell someone your logline and ask them how they think that would end, because people will usually tell you what they want to hear.
Enough? Good. It's not that hard, is it?
Now go write something, something good.
If it's humor, make it funny, with interesting characters that have quirky traits, a story that is going somewhere, give it a theme. A plot is good, essential, but give us a theme we're interested in, something we can relate to or admire.
Be the expert, in your area of expertise. You're probably more interesting than you think, but only in certain ways. If you're a stock clerk, I want to know what goes on between the aisles and behind that door that says "Staff Only". I really don't want to read your script or see your film about a guy who builds an incredible weapon we've never heard of before, because we probably heard of it before. And if you just have to write that thing, do your research, lots of it.
Keep the action and description short, I've got an imagination, you know? If I have to draw a diagram to figure out how the "x-machine" looks then you've lost the point of using that as a prop in the first place. Just make it look like an ordinary pen, and when you click it, you're transported in time, I can vision that, plus it's cost effective for production.
Give us some dialogue, meaningful stuff, don't just write it to fill pages, don't waste our time. If you're hurting for material just go somewhere and strike up conversation with a stranger, and annotate their traits, how they speak, what they talk about. People will usually try saying something important, or make an observation that is no new observation, and that alone is interesting or funny-- not in the way they think it is though. We like to poke fun at people in this manner, it's human nature.
Make it a good ending. Some people say that's the hardest thing to do but if you have a good outline you should know where it's going. If you don't know, then tell someone your logline and ask them how they think that would end, because people will usually tell you what they want to hear.
Enough? Good. It's not that hard, is it?
Now go write something, something good.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
MOVING TO LA
Every screenwriter, at some point or another, faces one, perplexing, inevitable question:
"Should I move to LA?"
Check into any message board on the craft, google it, eavesdrop on a group of eccentric drama students at a coffee shop, and the topic will come up, more than a few times.
Successful screenwriters usually do live in LA, Terry Rossio lives up the hill from the studios because he often finds himself in pitches, in front of Spielberg and the like. He has a funny story of when he lived in Orange County and would have to drive over an hour to studio meetings. He, and writing partner Ted Elliot, came up with the whole treatment for "Godzilla" during these commutes. Eventually, he had to give in and make the move.
John August has a much different story, of how he arrived, unknown, with a dinged-up vehicle, feeling very unimportant and as if he didn't belong there. But, he felt he was a good writer, and as it turns out, he was.
Just the other day, on a message board, a lady was ranting along about how she is a screenwriter and lives in LA, and that the town isn't full of scribes, as she claimed people were being led to believe. In her words, she lived her whole life in LA and never met another screenwriter--
she should get out more.
So, apparently, living there, or in her case, being born and raised there, doesn't guarantee success, especially if you never get out, aren't invited for a pitch, don't send out tens of tons of query letters and scripts, like we all have to, in an attempt to get a foot in the studio door.
This lady might as well live in, well, anywhere else in the world, as most of us do.
So, for now, enjoy the mountains, if that is where you live. If your town has brick buildings and bookstores, according to Rossio, that's one up on LA. If there are seasons where you live, with trees that have actual leaves, changing color and falling to the ground, you're not in LA.
Enjoy it for now.
"Should I move to LA?"
Check into any message board on the craft, google it, eavesdrop on a group of eccentric drama students at a coffee shop, and the topic will come up, more than a few times.
Successful screenwriters usually do live in LA, Terry Rossio lives up the hill from the studios because he often finds himself in pitches, in front of Spielberg and the like. He has a funny story of when he lived in Orange County and would have to drive over an hour to studio meetings. He, and writing partner Ted Elliot, came up with the whole treatment for "Godzilla" during these commutes. Eventually, he had to give in and make the move.
John August has a much different story, of how he arrived, unknown, with a dinged-up vehicle, feeling very unimportant and as if he didn't belong there. But, he felt he was a good writer, and as it turns out, he was.
Just the other day, on a message board, a lady was ranting along about how she is a screenwriter and lives in LA, and that the town isn't full of scribes, as she claimed people were being led to believe. In her words, she lived her whole life in LA and never met another screenwriter--
she should get out more.
So, apparently, living there, or in her case, being born and raised there, doesn't guarantee success, especially if you never get out, aren't invited for a pitch, don't send out tens of tons of query letters and scripts, like we all have to, in an attempt to get a foot in the studio door.
This lady might as well live in, well, anywhere else in the world, as most of us do.
So, for now, enjoy the mountains, if that is where you live. If your town has brick buildings and bookstores, according to Rossio, that's one up on LA. If there are seasons where you live, with trees that have actual leaves, changing color and falling to the ground, you're not in LA.
Enjoy it for now.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
HOW TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY (SCRIPT) PT. 20
After printing your script, as I mentioned before, you will still finds things that you either need or want to change. Format, typos, grammar, and structure errors are a few obvious problems that will get attention.
I want to talk about repetition, specifically verbs. Many pro readers and screenwriters tell us we need to have the character moving, and to make that movement obvious, to take the reader along in the picture.
Naturally, in our present-tense sort of screenwriting style, a commonly used verb will be "goes".
He goes to the window.
And, it depends what is happening to and around our character, so we can use the proper verb to get him there.
If he heard a bomb go off, distant, outside, it might be:
He dashes to the window.
He darts to the window.
He speeds to the window.
He runs to the window.
He bolts to the window.
If he's depressed, on a gloomy day:
He trudges to the window.
He shuffles to the window.
He drags up to the window.
He wanders to the window.
He saunters to the window.
Try using different verbs for the same action, throughout your script, as one can only read "goes up" and "goes over to" so many times until it becomes boring.
At the same time, keep it easy, and sensible for the reader, it's not a novel, don't go into three line articulation for the simple process of a character going to the window.
Have a good write!
I want to talk about repetition, specifically verbs. Many pro readers and screenwriters tell us we need to have the character moving, and to make that movement obvious, to take the reader along in the picture.
Naturally, in our present-tense sort of screenwriting style, a commonly used verb will be "goes".
He goes to the window.
And, it depends what is happening to and around our character, so we can use the proper verb to get him there.
If he heard a bomb go off, distant, outside, it might be:
He dashes to the window.
He darts to the window.
He speeds to the window.
He runs to the window.
He bolts to the window.
If he's depressed, on a gloomy day:
He trudges to the window.
He shuffles to the window.
He drags up to the window.
He wanders to the window.
He saunters to the window.
Try using different verbs for the same action, throughout your script, as one can only read "goes up" and "goes over to" so many times until it becomes boring.
At the same time, keep it easy, and sensible for the reader, it's not a novel, don't go into three line articulation for the simple process of a character going to the window.
Have a good write!
Monday, October 26, 2009
HOW TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY (SCRIPT) PT. 19
PRINTING YOUR SCRIPT
Mentor John August has THIS great post about the last steps he takes to proofread and prepare a script before sending it off. For some unknown reason, human eyes can see typos on paper that they failed to see on the computer, so it will be essential to print out your screenplay for a "fresh set of eyes" view. Speaking of which, get a friend or family member, or anyone else who is willing to read your script for errors. They might see a typo or something that doesn't add up.
Our teacher also has some good TIPS on how to avoid wasting too much paper.
The NICHOLL AWARDS site displays a list of formatting problems that might give a bad first impression to a reader, in other words, as quoted from the site, avoid:
1.Typo/misspelling on the title page.
2.Typo/misspelling in the first scene header.
3.Typos/misspellings in the first sentence or paragraph or page.
4.Triple/double spacing of every/many line(s) on first page.
5.Lack of spacing between scene header and description and/or between description and dialogue and/or between dialogue and dialogue.
6.Use of font other than Courier 12-point, ten-pitch, non-proportional.
7.Extensive use of bold print.
8.Dialogue that stretches from the left margin to the right margin.
9.Extra space between character name and dialogue.
10.Description and/or dialogue typed ALL CAPS.
11.Extremely narrow or extremely wide outside margins.
12.Long, long, long descriptive passages.
13.Handwritten or hand-printed script.
14.Other glaring, non-standard format usage.
If you're using a script-editing program, most of that should be taken care of, if you proofread, that is.
If you're using the free Cinergy Script Editor that I suggested and linked, there's one slight problem to work out concerning the TITLE of your script. Cinergy insists on printing your title on the upper left hand of every page, not just on the cover.
To avoid this, prior to printing, go to
file>project setup>project title
and leave it blank.
Print your full script, then create a new blank page, filling in the title and pertinent info at the same tab, then print out your title page and attach it to your script.
By the way, title pages are never numbered, just your title, your name, contact info, and revision date, which the program will take care of itself.
Happy printing, and have a good read!
Mentor John August has THIS great post about the last steps he takes to proofread and prepare a script before sending it off. For some unknown reason, human eyes can see typos on paper that they failed to see on the computer, so it will be essential to print out your screenplay for a "fresh set of eyes" view. Speaking of which, get a friend or family member, or anyone else who is willing to read your script for errors. They might see a typo or something that doesn't add up.
Our teacher also has some good TIPS on how to avoid wasting too much paper.
The NICHOLL AWARDS site displays a list of formatting problems that might give a bad first impression to a reader, in other words, as quoted from the site, avoid:
1.Typo/misspelling on the title page.
2.Typo/misspelling in the first scene header.
3.Typos/misspellings in the first sentence or paragraph or page.
4.Triple/double spacing of every/many line(s) on first page.
5.Lack of spacing between scene header and description and/or between description and dialogue and/or between dialogue and dialogue.
6.Use of font other than Courier 12-point, ten-pitch, non-proportional.
7.Extensive use of bold print.
8.Dialogue that stretches from the left margin to the right margin.
9.Extra space between character name and dialogue.
10.Description and/or dialogue typed ALL CAPS.
11.Extremely narrow or extremely wide outside margins.
12.Long, long, long descriptive passages.
13.Handwritten or hand-printed script.
14.Other glaring, non-standard format usage.
If you're using a script-editing program, most of that should be taken care of, if you proofread, that is.
If you're using the free Cinergy Script Editor that I suggested and linked, there's one slight problem to work out concerning the TITLE of your script. Cinergy insists on printing your title on the upper left hand of every page, not just on the cover.
To avoid this, prior to printing, go to
file>project setup>project title
and leave it blank.
Print your full script, then create a new blank page, filling in the title and pertinent info at the same tab, then print out your title page and attach it to your script.
By the way, title pages are never numbered, just your title, your name, contact info, and revision date, which the program will take care of itself.
Happy printing, and have a good read!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
FIRST SCRIPT READ
Yesterday was a monumental moment in my screenwriting career:
the completion of my first script, the printing thereof, and my first read, provided by my Lovely Wife.
The script took a few hours to outline and pitch, a couple of weeks to write, and several days, maybe also weeks, to set and polish, which was the toughest part of the whole process.
I've wrote, read, and have rewritten this story so many times I can quote the entire thing off the top of my head. And I'm still not sick of it, good sign.
Off to the printer, sixty pages in I was out of paper. Dashed to Office Max, where I almost got sucked in an aisle to look at brads, but I maintained focus and got a ream of paper.
The printer succeeded in pumping out the whole script, I couldn't believe how thick and heavy it was (that's what she said, right?). No, I've never had a script in my hands, let alone my own; hitting someone with the thing would surely cause a concussion.
Drilling it, at this point, was out of the question (that's what he said), so I just clipped it with whatever you call the giant black clip thing with silver arms, and sent it off to my reader, who was watching a movie on the couch.
I know, I know, you're supposed to have an unbiased reader, but at this point I was dying for anyone to read it and give feedback, and Lovely Wife is a good judge of things, I'd trust her opinion over most.
Quite confident, I handed over the "Piece de Resitance", or however the french say it, I'm tired of using the latin "Opus Magnum"-- in german it would be my "Lebensarbeit", my life's work, or "Meisterstueck", meaning masterpiece.
I heard a few laughs from the other room, which bolstered my trust that this was going to be a great review. Dinner interrupting, Lovely Wife asked if she should mark typos.
TYPOS???
There's freaking typos? My heart took a little dip as I handed her a yellow highlighter, requesting that she mark anything obvious or in question.
I sat on the screened porch with the laptop as she read, watching her move back and forth from a smile, look of concern, then using the pen, and back to laughter.
Damn. Did I work hard enough? Should I have changed that line? Suddenly my rating of the script was diving fast, maybe no matter how hard I polished this thing it wasn't gleaming like a pro's work. Am I cut out for it?
She read the last page, smiled, laughed, stacked it, and looked pleased-- I headed in for the review.
Lovely Wife was thrilled, she thought it was funny, moving, realistic, had pointed out some favorite moments. Then she had a few suggestions and ideas, which were great and very much appreciated. I regained confidence as we went over different scenes, yes, it's solid.
It was a rewarding experience, now it's back to work. Another polish, some tweaking, a McGuffin change.
Nobody ever said this would be easy.
the completion of my first script, the printing thereof, and my first read, provided by my Lovely Wife.
The script took a few hours to outline and pitch, a couple of weeks to write, and several days, maybe also weeks, to set and polish, which was the toughest part of the whole process.
I've wrote, read, and have rewritten this story so many times I can quote the entire thing off the top of my head. And I'm still not sick of it, good sign.
Off to the printer, sixty pages in I was out of paper. Dashed to Office Max, where I almost got sucked in an aisle to look at brads, but I maintained focus and got a ream of paper.
The printer succeeded in pumping out the whole script, I couldn't believe how thick and heavy it was (that's what she said, right?). No, I've never had a script in my hands, let alone my own; hitting someone with the thing would surely cause a concussion.
Drilling it, at this point, was out of the question (that's what he said), so I just clipped it with whatever you call the giant black clip thing with silver arms, and sent it off to my reader, who was watching a movie on the couch.
I know, I know, you're supposed to have an unbiased reader, but at this point I was dying for anyone to read it and give feedback, and Lovely Wife is a good judge of things, I'd trust her opinion over most.
Quite confident, I handed over the "Piece de Resitance", or however the french say it, I'm tired of using the latin "Opus Magnum"-- in german it would be my "Lebensarbeit", my life's work, or "Meisterstueck", meaning masterpiece.
I heard a few laughs from the other room, which bolstered my trust that this was going to be a great review. Dinner interrupting, Lovely Wife asked if she should mark typos.
TYPOS???
There's freaking typos? My heart took a little dip as I handed her a yellow highlighter, requesting that she mark anything obvious or in question.
I sat on the screened porch with the laptop as she read, watching her move back and forth from a smile, look of concern, then using the pen, and back to laughter.
Damn. Did I work hard enough? Should I have changed that line? Suddenly my rating of the script was diving fast, maybe no matter how hard I polished this thing it wasn't gleaming like a pro's work. Am I cut out for it?
She read the last page, smiled, laughed, stacked it, and looked pleased-- I headed in for the review.
Lovely Wife was thrilled, she thought it was funny, moving, realistic, had pointed out some favorite moments. Then she had a few suggestions and ideas, which were great and very much appreciated. I regained confidence as we went over different scenes, yes, it's solid.
It was a rewarding experience, now it's back to work. Another polish, some tweaking, a McGuffin change.
Nobody ever said this would be easy.
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