Screenwriting Materials and Styles

I was wondering what books, web pages, or other resources people have looked at for screenwriting to figure out style and technique. Also, I was wondering what peoples writing styles and habits are. There appeared to be a lot of people who are at least somewhat interested in the writing aspect as it leads to the actual making of a film.

Personally I haven't read much on screenwriting, I am looking at finding more texts to read. My training in screenwriting came from trial and error originally and then a screenwriting course that I took in college.

My writing style is pretty free. I don't plan things out much, as I write ideas of where things will go will come to me, and I will then write what needs to be inbetween where I am and where I want to go. Typically I get the idea for the beginning of the screenplay and then as I write the beginning I get the idea for where it will ultimately wrap up. And as I write the stuff inbetween there, I generally come up with the side plots and the character development as I go along.

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im studying screenwriting in a module this coming year at uni, but so my experience of writing for the screen has been pretty freestyle - take it as it comes. I ve got like 3 notebooks full of ideas and these have been really handy. I write any idea that comes into my head, basic plot outlines etc. Then once ive got an outline i make notes on what kind of message i want to say overall and an end resolution for each character - what theyre going to ultimately learn and how they'll have changed by the end of it.

For me personally once ive got those down, the language sort of comes on its own.

And of course from trial and error ive learned that jumping from scene to scene isn't always best - a filler shot here and there helps establish location, give you a pace and rhythm.

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Undercoverlovers 100 REDUX

Though I'm not sure if I am in any position to be doling out the advice, here are a few things i've noticed about screenwriting:

• It is absolutley worth it to get the proper program.
  Many young writer's get by with Microsoft Word or something similar, but for formatting, everything is so much easier with the right program. I use Final Draft, a relatively inexpensive program which allows me to choose from a number of formatting templates before i begin writing.
• There is such a thing as pre-production in screenwriting.
  Outlining is EVERYTHING. In my experience, your story needs a significant amount of development before you hit the keyboard. Im not saying you need to know exactly how the script will end, but having a good grasp on your characters and how they function, as well as the central themes of the story, will make everything feel much more complete when all is said and done.
• Your first draft is always crap and will always need at least one revision.
  So you've finished your screenplay? Good. Now's when the real work begins; revising it and making it read well. For many people it usually takes a lot longer than writing the damn thing.
• Dont get too caught up in how the film will work technically.
  Many young writers are so enthusiastic about film that they feel the ened to place detailed camera instructions and technical features within the screenplay. This is not the job of the screenwriter. Keep things simple. Let the director figure everything out. Even if you plan on directing it yourself, a good clean, uncluttered story is much easier to sell than a tangled clump of your artistic integrity.

Again, i've yet to even graduate, much less sell a screenplay, but these are a few tips i've heard repeated from many industry pros.

And as you continue to write, you will develop your own style and system of going about it. When that time comes, i say, go for it and do your own thing.

Check out syd field and elliot groves books. They taught me all i needed to know about screenwriting.


Am making my first short film now

I read a book by Syd Field in my screenwriting class. I'll have to check out the other author and see what he has to say.

Yeah, dude. Get the right software. That's for sure. With Final Draft you can have it broken down which helps a lot with production and it's got hot keys which makes going from dialog to descriptions to scene headings less of a hassle. As far as reading goes, try getting the most basic book you can find. Everybody's got their own style when it comes to writing a script. Taxi Driver was written with this huge intro that had the character's background while other movies are written so that every sentence will be an individual shot. If you end up needing to know more, get another book that will answer your questions or post something here. If you plan on turning your script into a short film, think about the budget. Write something that's shootable' and save the bigger things for later. The more locations you have the more shooting days you'll need and even if people are working for free, you need to feed them, and some people are fatties that can eat a lot - kick them off the set immediately. Don't get caught up in technical crap. You don't need to detail camera moves unless it directly affects the plot or characters. Save that for when you're directing and storyboarding or working with a director.

And, one page of script equals roughly one minute of screen time unless it's dialog heavy.

Good luck.

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Final Draft and Screenwriting For Dummies.

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