Formatting Formatting Formatting!

One of the most important things you have to learn about writing a screenplay is formatting it correctly. The problem is that producers see so many screenplays each day that they actually look for an excuse to reject them even before they are even 10 pages into reading your hard work.

If you make any mistakes in formatting, especially early on within the first 10 pages, your screenplay will be tossed into the trash bin like so many others.

The three major parts of a screenplay are the scene headings, narrative description and dialogue.

In my experience the best way to master the syntax of these 3 basic parts of a screen are to read as many screenplays as you can and the rest will come naturally.

The #1 mistake I made in my early screenplays was to mix scene headings and narrative descriptions together.  The key thing to remember is that the Scene headings only consist of the the camera location (EXT for external and INT for internal), the scene location and whether its DAY or NIGHT and that's all.

As far as the Narrative description or action, that easy.  You just description the action in lower case under the Scene heading and never combine this with the scene heading.  Describe the action that is going on, any sound that may be happening or visual images.

The dialog as far as formatting is the easy part. Just the person name and underneath what they are saying, etc. The person's name should always be in caps. When mentioning a new character in any screenplay, the first time his/her name is mentioned that name should always be in caps.

Over time the formatting of a good screenplay will become second nature to you and of course its always a great idea to invest in some kind of a screenwriting formatting tool and there are several available. This is a much better idea than trying to format your screenplay perfectly using something like Microsoft Word and using the tool will save you a lot of time and frustration.

One of the best products out there for formatting a screenplay correctly and this is the one that I have used successfully to write all 3 of my screenplays is called FIRST DRAFT I highly recommend this product.

Screenwriting: Things I have learned so far.

Of all the things I have learned from screenwriting so far in my young career, the most important probably is "Keep on writing".

I have completed 2 screenplays so far and I am still working on my 3rd, unable to come up with a great ending.  They say you should work on something else and then go back to your other screenplay when your stuck, so right now I am working on the book about my career in Information Technology which is entitled "Because of the Money".

I found this web site that preaches just that, called Keep Writing and its worth looking at, if only to keep you inspired.

As far as dealing with agents, one thing I found it is - never ask an agent what movie or movies he has been involved with.  One agent in particular actually hung up on me - twice when I dared to ask him about this resume.  

As far as script coverage services, I have found in my one experience that its not worth it. Your better off going to fiver.com and pay only 5 dollars for some good feedback and advice.

Screenplay contests are OK, but you have to find the right ones.  Look at the Keep Writing Web site I mention above for more information about the ones to enter.   One of the good ones is BLUECAT, which I entered some months ago.

Some ideas I have found over the past year is that if you have writers block then write anything, you can always go back and fix it later.   Be prepared for many re-writes before you are completed with any play or screenplay.  Neil Simon wrote his first play "Come blow your horn" no less than 26 times, with each re-write including about 120 pages before he was completed.   I highly recommend Neil Simon's biographies, because both of these books talk about his writing career as well as his challenging personal life:

Rewrites: A Memoir

The Play Goes On: A Memoir

I also found something interesting about some ideas about making a short film.

Short Film Ideas

SCREENWRITING SUCCESS

There is nothing easy about breaking into this business. The first challenge is getting an agent, and even that is difficult.

I have written 3 screenplays so far, my first is entitled RB - for Running Back. Its a story about a young man named Jay who was an exceptional athlete in high school and was a stand out running back on his high school football team. Unfortunately in his senior year he gets hurt and all his dreams of College and the NFL are lost on one play. Ten years later what could have been haunts him as he goes through life in his boring job and it even affects his relationship with his girlfriend.

It turns out that his biggest fan in high school is also a great filmmaker and he puts videos out on YOUTUBE showing Jay's greatest breakaway runs in high school. These videos make getting over the past much more difficult for our hero and then the other player who caused Jay's injury gets out of prison and that leads to a climactic ending.

Jay's last name Franklin is the name of a good friend I met on my last ever contract in IT, Roland Franklin. Unfortunately Roland passed away back in May at only 48. It was a horrible shock. During the last year I have gotten screen coverage for my script, which I don't recommend because its mostly about paying people to review your script and things don't go anywhere after that.

What I have done is probably the best and cheapest current way of at least getting some feedback about your work. Try www.fiverr.com and pay five dollars to have part or all of your screenplay critiqued by someone who has some experience and expertise with the art of screenwriting.

Screenwriting has been called the most difficult of all art forms to master.

As I have heard from others so many times; keep writing and creating every day.

SCREENWRITING BIBLE - Great book to get started.

Review: GONE GIRL

This movie is the main reason why I see so many movies every year. Extremely well done. The phrase "ONE THE NOSE DIALOG" does not apply here. Every line was original and well thought out. By far the best movies of the year so far in 2014. I highly recommend this movie.

Review: The DROP

This movie was James Gandolfini's last and what a horrible loss for everybody who loves movies because he was a great talent.

I thought this movie was slow in parts and rather boring overall.   It also came off as too dark as it seemed it was always overcast or raining in every scene.

I cannot recommend this movie.

Review: A WALK AMOUNG THE TOMSTONES

I thought this movie was boring in spots and dragged on.

Overall it was OK, but not different enough in terms of its story line or violent themes to strongly recommend.  We have all seen a movie like this many times before, and that is the problem.

Review: DOLPHIN TALE 2

Good movie the equal of the first one, which some string emotional scenes with the dolphins.

Good acting overall.

I do recommend this movie.

Review: THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU

I thought this was a good solid movie and funny in some places.

Good acting throughout and it was nice to see Jane Fonda again in a movie.

Review: THE EXPENDABLES 3

I thought this movie was surprisingly good.  The best one of the 3 Expendables movies.

Very good action throughout and a good story overall.

There will be more Expendables because this one was as good as it was.

Review: THE EQUALIZER

This movie was quite good - of course it was violent but the interesting thing about this movie was that it made many violent themes we have seen before - unique and different in many ways. I recommend this movie.

Review - SKELETON TWINS

I thought this movies was funny in some spots but mostly it was depressing and not very good.

 I cannot recommend this movie