Can you all hear me in the back? Source: Darlene Craviotto #screenwriting #film #screenplay “I’m a writer. I’ve been one of the lucky ones to make a career out of it – out of screenwriting, actually. It didn’t happen right away, but once I was hired to write one film project, they started hiring me to write more.  I wrote a book about it, about what it’s like to be a screenwriter in Hollywood.  One of the reasons I wrote it was because most people have no understanding of what it is that we do.  They think the actors make up all the dialogue and we write down what they tell us.  I wish it was that easy.  But no one really seems to understand the nature of our work. I had a meeting at an unemployment office several years ago – I wanted to transition to writing multi-media content. The employment counselor behind the desk (well aware of my writing résumé) smiled politely as she told me, “Oh no, dear. You can’t do multi-media – You have to be creative to do that kind of work!” Nobody really understands what it is that a writer does. I’m not sure I understand it either.  I know what’s expected from…..”
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Can you all hear me in the back?

Source: Darlene Craviotto

#screenwriting #film #screenplay

“I’m a writer.

I’ve been one of the lucky ones to make a career out of it – out of screenwriting, actually. It didn’t happen right away, but once I was hired to write one film project, they started hiring me to write more.  I wrote a book about it, about what it’s like to be a screenwriter in Hollywood.  One of the reasons I wrote it was because most people have no understanding of what it is that we do.  They think the actors make up all the dialogue and we write down what they tell us.  I wish it was that easy.  But no one really seems to understand the nature of our work. I had a meeting at an unemployment office several years ago – I wanted to transition to writing multi-media content. The employment counselor behind the desk (well aware of my writing résumé) smiled politely as she told me, “Oh no, dear. You can’t do multi-media – You have to be creative to do that kind of work!”

Nobody really understands what it is that a writer does.

I’m not sure I understand it either.  I know what’s expected from…..”

How To Get Your Script Read By the Industry Source: @ScriptAWish #screenwriting #film #business “As I mention in an article I wrote for the March 2011 issue of Script Magazine, you can have the best script in the world – but unless you can get people to read it, it might as well be a paper weight. Now, if you’ve already got your action lines perfect and your dialogue crisp, then it’s time to embark on The Voyage To Getting It Read. There are basically four main ways for an unknown to get their script read, and I’m going to put them in order of effectiveness. The four ways are: Contacts, Coverage services, Competitions, and Email/Query Letter Campaigns. Ready to dive in? Let’s go: CONTACTS As we all know, being best friends with Steven Spielberg or Judd Apatow has its perks. And we’re all buddies with them, right? Yeah, right. I wish. So the first aspect of contacts is already having your own. Unfortunately, 95% of aspiring writers aren’t related to hollywood hot shots and don’t have a friend of a friend of Steven. But don’t despair, because it’s important to understand that you don’t HAVE to be best friends with Will Smith or get jiggy with Jada on Tuesday nights. Let me start by saying this: you dont need FAMOUS or HIGH POWERED contacts in Hollywood. Don’t get me wrong, it helps tremendously, but that’s not your goal when it comes to networking and accumulating your group of contacts. Your goal is simple: have as many contacts as possible, but especially contacts that are at the kind of companies or who come in contact with the kind of high powered people who would like your particular material. For instance, if you wrote a stoner comedy, you would have contacts in the Judd Apatow clan, or the James Franco and Danny McBride circle of friends (I’m looking at you Your Highness). Here’s the great news: notice how I said “clan” and “circle of friends.” You don’t have to be best friends with Apatow or Franco, you just need to know their interns or assistants or other people they trust. Because the name of the game is getting champions of your writing. If an intern for a high powered producer reads and loves your script, and believes wholeheartedly that This Is The Next Big Thing, he’ll lobby hard to get his boss to read it. He or she will fight for you, and for the script. Why? Well, frankly it makes them look good to their bosses that they found the material, and they can parlay that into more opportunities for themselves. Many an assistant at an agent’s desk got promoted for being able to find talent – and many an intern has gotten associate producer credits from bringing in a script. So as long as you have a champion – at any level in the company – in your corner, you’re ahead of the game. As a side note, this can even include personal assistants (or hair dressers, etc. – I’m looking at you Jon Peters). One of my favorite examples is how producer Matt Alvarez got his start in the business – as a personal assistant. And now he’s a well-known producer with tons of credits under his belt and an eye for good scripts. So the good news is, basically anybody who knows somebody can be your champion…..”
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How To Get Your Script Read By the Industry

Source: @ScriptAWish

#screenwriting #film #business

“As I mention in an article I wrote for the March 2011 issue of Script Magazine, you can have the best script in the world – but unless you can get people to read it, it might as well be a paper weight.

Now, if you’ve already got your action lines perfect and your dialogue crisp, then it’s time to embark on The Voyage To Getting It Read.

There are basically four main ways for an unknown to get their script read, and I’m going to put them in order of effectiveness. The four ways are: Contacts, Coverage services, Competitions, and Email/Query Letter Campaigns.

Ready to dive in? Let’s go:

CONTACTS

As we all know, being best friends with Steven Spielberg or Judd Apatow has its perks. And we’re all buddies with them, right? Yeah, right. I wish.

So the first aspect of contacts is already having your own. Unfortunately, 95% of aspiring writers aren’t related to hollywood hot shots and don’t have a friend of a friend of Steven. But don’t despair, because it’s important to understand that you don’t HAVE to be best friends with Will Smith or get jiggy with Jada on Tuesday nights.

Let me start by saying this: you dont need FAMOUS or HIGH POWERED contacts in Hollywood. Don’t get me wrong, it helps tremendously, but that’s not your goal when it comes to networking and accumulating your group of contacts. Your goal is simple: have as many contacts as possible, but especially contacts that are at the kind of companies or who come in contact with the kind of high powered people who would like your particular material. For instance, if you wrote a stoner comedy, you would have contacts in the Judd Apatow clan, or the James Franco and Danny McBride circle of friends (I’m looking at you Your Highness).

Here’s the great news: notice how I said “clan” and “circle of friends.” You don’t have to be best friends with Apatow or Franco, you just need to know their interns or assistants or other people they trust. Because the name of the game is getting champions of your writing. If an intern for a high powered producer reads and loves your script, and believes wholeheartedly that This Is The Next Big Thing, he’ll lobby hard to get his boss to read it. He or she will fight for you, and for the script. Why? Well, frankly it makes them look good to their bosses that they found the material, and they can parlay that into more opportunities for themselves. Many an assistant at an agent’s desk got promoted for being able to find talent – and many an intern has gotten associate producer credits from bringing in a script. So as long as you have a champion – at any level in the company – in your corner, you’re ahead of the game.

As a side note, this can even include personal assistants (or hair dressers, etc. – I’m looking at you Jon Peters). One of my favorite examples is how producer Matt Alvarez got his start in the business – as a personal assistant. And now he’s a well-known producer with tons of credits under his belt and an eye for good scripts. So the good news is, basically anybody who knows somebody can be your champion…..”


Greatest Speech Ever Made: Charlie Chaplin

#screenwriting #film #humanity

Screenplay Review - Soundtrack (Amateur Friday) Source: @Scriptshadow #screenplay #film #screenwriting “A couple of weeks ago, you guys got to choose from ten loglines to determine which script should be reviewed for Amateur Friday. Today’s script finished in second place! NEW Amateur Friday Submission Process: To submit your script for an Amateur Review, send in a PDF of your script, a PDF of the first ten pages of your script, your title, genre, logline, and finally, why I should read your script. Use my submission address please: Carsonreeves3@gmail.com. Your script and “first ten” will be posted. If you’re nervous about the effect of a bad review, feel free to use an alias name and/or title. It’s a good idea to resubmit every couple of weeks so your submission stays near the top.Genre: Romantic ComedyPremise: When a burgeoning composer hits his head, he begins to hear his life’s soundtrack; a soundtrack that is prompting and pushing him back to his ex-fiance. But will he follow the guidance of the music?About: Last week I held a mini-competition for 10 amateur Friday submissions and let you guys pick your favorite loglines. Soundtrack finished second, but when the first 10 pages of the Top 3 vote-getters were posted, Soundtrack received the best response of the bunch. Don’t worry, I’m not shafting the winner, Breathwork. 
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Screenplay Review - Soundtrack (Amateur Friday)

Source: @Scriptshadow

#screenplay #film #screenwriting

“A couple of weeks ago, you guys got to choose from ten loglines to determine which script should be reviewed for Amateur Friday. Today’s script finished in second place!

NEW Amateur Friday Submission Process: To submit your script for an Amateur Review, send in a PDF of your script, a PDF of the first ten pages of your script, your title, genre, logline, and finally, why I should read your script. Use my submission address please: Carsonreeves3@gmail.com. Your script and “first ten” will be posted. If you’re nervous about the effect of a bad review, feel free to use an alias name and/or title. It’s a good idea to resubmit every couple of weeks so your submission stays near the top.

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Premise: When a burgeoning composer hits his head, he begins to hear his life’s soundtrack; a soundtrack that is prompting and pushing him back to his ex-fiance. But will he follow the guidance of the music?
About: Last week I held a mini-competition for 10 amateur Friday submissions and let you guys pick your favorite loglines. Soundtrack finished second, but when the first 10 pages of the Top 3 vote-getters were posted, Soundtrack received the best response of the bunch. Don’t worry, I’m not shafting the winner, Breathwork. 

Female Paranoia in Silence of the Lambs Source: American Cinema: 1960-Present #screenwriting #film #writing “Personal paranoia plays a large role throughout the entirety of Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs, especially as it relates to gender. There is often music when Clarice and Hannibal speak, however each of them seems to have a different instrument assigned as their own. Often times, when Clarice speaks, we hear strings, yet when Hannibal speaks, we hear much lower tones of brass instruments. Often times, as tension builds, we are led into the scene by minor, dissonant music, which inevitably cuts to silence at some point. Furthermore, whenever Clarice travels to a more “small town” landscape, a different type of music, perhaps more subdued and melancholy, is introduced. When Hannibal and Clarice speak about Clarice’s past in the prison, the conversation begins with, I think, timpani whenever Clarice speaks, and brass whenever Hannibal does. However as the exchange and editing get more and more rapid, the instruments blend into one instrumental piece. The low tones for Hannibal whenever he is onscreen keep us constantly on edge….”
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Female Paranoia in Silence of the Lambs

Source: American Cinema: 1960-Present

#screenwriting #film #writing

“Personal paranoia plays a large role throughout the entirety of Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs, especially as it relates to gender. There is often music when Clarice and Hannibal speak, however each of them seems to have a different instrument assigned as their own. Often times, when Clarice speaks, we hear strings, yet when Hannibal speaks, we hear much lower tones of brass instruments. Often times, as tension builds, we are led into the scene by minor, dissonant music, which inevitably cuts to silence at some point. Furthermore, whenever Clarice travels to a more “small town” landscape, a different type of music, perhaps more subdued and melancholy, is introduced. When Hannibal and Clarice speak about Clarice’s past in the prison, the conversation begins with, I think, timpani whenever Clarice speaks, and brass whenever Hannibal does. However as the exchange and editing get more and more rapid, the instruments blend into one instrumental piece. The low tones for Hannibal whenever he is onscreen keep us constantly on edge….”