The Coli's Screenwriting/Filmmaking Thread [Share tips, etc]

[Conz]

Yeah, I made the mistake of taking Screenwriting 1 at the Gotham Writer's Workshop a year after getting into the "craft." It was a 10 week course, 3-4 hours a week, and I learned... I think a little bit about how important conflict was to every scene. That's my one memory of it. People in there were just off the street like "hmm, screenwriting, I'd like to hear what that's about," so it took 5 weeks to get into actual substance.

We were supposed to start planning our screenplay and then you take Screenwriting 2 to finish it, but the class progresed too slowly. I was working on a script-- if you steal this GENIUS idea, I'll murder you-- called "Chasing Chamberlain" about a basketball recruit who's hellbent on breaking every known basketball record, but then learns about Chamberlain's sex record and switches his focus. Needless to say, the class kinda soured me on writing it and to this day all I have is a sloppy outline. I think the idea has potential though, and I plan on writing it eventually. The world needs a classic basketball comedy.

Anyway, people were bringing in their shyt and it was garbage for the most part, so I wrote a short and we did a class table read and the place lit up in cheers at the end. So if anything, I got that, and it definitely helped propel me further because i saw a room of 15-20 people genuinely love my shyt.

Still probably not worth the cash though. it was about $700 all told, b/c I had to buy a NJ transit pass along with paying for the class.

 

[storyteller]

Yeah, I made the mistake of taking Screenwriting 1 at the Gotham Writer's Workshop a year after getting into the "craft." It was a 10 week course, 3-4 hours a week, and I learned... I think a little bit about how important conflict was to every scene. That's my one memory of it. People in there were just off the street like "hmm, screenwriting, I'd like to hear what that's about," so it took 5 weeks to get into actual substance.

We were supposed to start planning our screenplay and then you take Screenwriting 2 to finish it, but the class progresed too slowly. I was working on a script-- if you steal this GENIUS idea, I'll murder you-- called "Chasing Chamberlain" about a basketball recruit who's hellbent on breaking every known basketball record, but then learns about Chamberlain's sex record and switches his focus. Needless to say, the class kinda soured me on writing it and to this day all I have is a sloppy outline. I think the idea has potential though, and I plan on writing it eventually. The world needs a classic basketball comedy.

Anyway, people were bringing in their shyt and it was garbage for the most part, so I wrote a short and we did a class table read and the place lit up in cheers at the end. So if anything, I got that, and it definitely helped propel me further because i saw a room of 15-20 people genuinely love my shyt.

Still probably not worth the cash though. it was about $700 all told, b/c I had to buy a NJ transit pass along with paying for the class.

Good looks on all the information, I'm about to cop a few informative books on the craft and start checking out scripts just to see if I could get into it. How do you go about submitting your scripts? (Where do you look or who do you talk to?)

 

[Conz]

I'm still trying to figure that out.

I tried cold calling way back, but that script wasn't worthy of anything, but no one takes scripts unsolicited. I honestly still have no clue, that's why I'm trying to "make relationships" on screenwriting sites. donedeal, talentville, scriptshadow, etc.

These are the books I've read:

• Save the Cat 1,2,3
• Your Screenplay Sucks
• The Screenwriter's Bible
• How NOT to Write a Screenplay
• Idiot's Guide to Comedy Writing
• Writing Movies for Fun and Profit (this one is my favorite, not as informative, but gold)
• Plus a lot of biographies - Kevin Smith, Simon Pegg, Steve Martin, even guys like Jeffrey Ross.

and a ton of scripts and blogs - Script Shadow, John August's blog, Goin to the Story, Movie Bytes, Save the Cat, bunch more. There are some decent podcasts to - The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith, Scriptnotes, Nerdist Writer's Panel, On the Page.

I've done some bullshyt blogging. got a few bucks on some sports/comedy site. I just always try to be reading or writing something... but almost entirely comedy.

 

[StraxStrax]

Adding to what @Conz and @nikkahs B. Wildin have said.

Start writing short films and try to get them made. I think it's crazy trying to write a feature length movie without having written at least some short scripts good enough too be made. I try to figure out the ending before I start writing the outline. If you are very serious about writing you gotta treat as a second job, writing at least 4 hours a day, 5 days a week even if what you write sucks.

 

[Conz]

I'm long winded as fukk in this thread, but I'ma keep going...

as Strax said, write some shorts. I wrote a screenplay with my buddy first, but it was a mess. We both "dedicated" ourselves to learning and wrote it a bunch of times, but it's still a huge mess. He went off and stopped writing, I stuck with it and just keep grinding.

I wrote about 15 shorts. about 7 of which I think are pretty good.

All in total I have those shorts, 2 Always Sunny specs, 2 Family Guy specs, 2 original pilots with a second episode and bible written for each, 4 completed screenplays that are just not good enough and it kills me to say, a bunch of specs planned, and another pilot in the early planning stage, and about ... I don't even fukkin know, 12? screenplays I've started and never finished, I keep telling myself I will but I'm full of shyt. I'm keeping them in the chamber hoping that someday I can get a gig and have a producer or someone say "What about that idea you had?" and I can revisit them with a little more motivation in the form of green paper.

Everything I've written except for 2 shorts are strictly comedy. I have almost zero interest in any other genre. I mix genres with comedy, but my strength is dialogue I think, so comedy is king.

 

[StraxStrax]

You gotta know someone that knows scripts and will read your stuff and be honest.

 

[Conz]

ive talked to a few and have a stable of people whose opinion I trust... that being said, none of them are really in a position to help me.

 

[ghostwriterx]

ive talked to a few and have a stable of people whose opinion I trust... that being said, none of them are really in a position to help me.

Good info in this thread. I've been trying to write for a years now, moved out to LA and everything, but slacked off lately.


As far as breaking into TV writing.

First Move to LA (this is damn near mandatory)
1. Network and get a writer's assistant job. (My boy got a job a writer's assistant on Two and a Half Men a couple of years ago and now he's a writer on Suburgatory.)
2. Send a spec/query letter to an agent or manager, they're always looking for new talent and your script will actually get read.
3. Go to film school, you meet a lot of contacts there. My wife went to school with the creator of Gideon. (She's an editor)

Writing for film I would suggest entering a bunch of contests. If you win or get mentioned in anything that's a great in to contact an agent with.

Another friend of mine manages writers and gets a lot of tv work for them. Have a few other friends in development in tv/film as well.

WORDPLAY/Special Notice is a great site for info on the craft and business, its run by the guys who wrote Pirates of the Caribbean and Deja Vu, Shrek etc. Read William Goldman's books too, great stuff and one of the GOATS.

One other thing. Once you build a good roster of contacts, make sure your ish is TIGHT before you send it to them. You get one chance to make a first impression and if you send a good contact something that's not ready, they most likely won't ever read your stuff again. People in development read TONS of scripts and they aren't going to waste time on somebody who's already given them sub-par material. This goes for casual friends and associates too, so make sure your happy with your work before you send it out, better yet get coverage.

Real friends/family usually suck for coverage because they
1. Aren't honest because they don't want to hurt your feelings
2. have no clue about actual screenplay coverage and can't give useful criticism anyway.

I've used this service before: Manuscript Coverage Products
Not cheap but its worth it.

Zoetrope Virtual Studio Home (Coppola family site) is another good site to collab and you can get free coverage from other writers, but you have to read like 5 screenplays and give coverage before you can submit.

I used to use this site to get scripts, haven't checked it out in years though: Drew's Script-O-Rama: free movie scripts and screenplays, baby!

I think I have some pilots of more recent shows that get made somewhere. I'll look for it and upload it later.

 

[2 Up 2 Down]

Also you can get some information from people who made it listening to audio commentary. I know Se7en is real insightful .

 

[Conz]

@ghostwriterx what are you doing out there then?

I can't just up and move cross country on a whim right now, no chance.

The fact that I can't even get in contact with anyone in NYC is absolute bullshyt. There are plenty of shows/companies that operate out of NYC, and I still don't have a fukkin clue how to "network" there.

like I said earlier, I just have a real problem trying to sell myself, it's an absolutely disgusting feeling. There's gotta be a way to let your shyt speak for itself online... and if there isn't, oh well. I got plenty of regrets already, what's a few more?

as much as you hear "you gotta send here and there and this and that" it still almost always seems to come down to who you know, and i doubt they got to know people by bombarding them with letters and being persistant to the point they want to strangle you. there are a ton of "my friend knew this guy" stories. I've read plenty of professional shyt that was weak, whether it was changed by production notes or what, there are a ton of really lazy scripts out there.

 

[Conz]

i don't believe in contests either, but that's probably just my skepticism. You pay $50 - $200 bucks to have someone read your script. They probably read 10 of em and just keep the money. shyt, I'd do that.

 

[ghostwriterx]

@ghostwriterx what are you doing out there then?

I can't just up and move cross country on a whim right now, no chance.

The fact that I can't even get in contact with anyone in NYC is absolute bullshyt. There are plenty of shows/companies that operate out of NYC, and I still don't have a fukkin clue how to "network" there.

like I said earlier, I just have a real problem trying to sell myself, it's an absolutely disgusting feeling. There's gotta be a way to let your shyt speak for itself online... and if there isn't, oh well. I got plenty of regrets already, what's a few more?

as much as you hear "you gotta send here and there and this and that" it still almost always seems to come down to who you know, and i doubt they got to know people by bombarding them with letters and being persistant to the point they want to strangle you. there are a ton of "my friend knew this guy" stories. I've read plenty of professional shyt that was weak, whether it was changed by production notes or what, there are a ton of really lazy scripts out there.

I'm working in web design/development right now and writing in my free time. Don't get me wrong, you can still make it w/o living in NYC or LA, but its a lot harder.

Networking is really important and that's hard if not impossible to do long distance. I spoke with one professional screenwriter who told me a lot of times comfort level can be at least as important as talent when it comes to hiring writers. People hire people they know and like to be around, especially in entertainment where you're working in close quarters for extended periods of time.


I understand what you mean about selling yourself. Its not for everybody and most writers aren't good at it. Concentrate on your craft, that's still the most important thing. If/when an opportunity presents itself your connect won't matter if you're work is trash.

i don't believe in contests either, but that's probably just my skepticism. You pay $50 - $200 bucks to have someone read your script. They probably read 10 of em and just keep the money. shyt, I'd do that.

Don't be so skeptical, obviously you've got to do your research and don't enter some bs contest nobody's ever heard of.

The big ones, Nickeloden, Disney, Nichols etc. are def legit and lead directly to paid work, but I think even the small ones can be helpful. When you're sending a query/spec to an agent, mentioning you placed 3rd in a contest even if its relatively obscure can go a long way.

 

[Yoda]

Friend moved to L.A. and is in school for scripts and ish.

I want to write a script sooooo bad. After seeing The Dark Knight and Inception (Nolan is my movie idol) i thought it would be awesome to write one.
Im trying to write a film similar to Breaking Bad, but instead of Meth they sell guns. eh eh eh? No? well fukk it

 

[Conz]

any more suggestions on contests? most I see boast "$10,000 in prizes!" then you click it and it says like "$1000 cash, $9,000 worth of books and software." i dont want that shyt.

I also think my genre is often frowned upon. i bet i could have won awards with my Sunny spec 2 years ago, but I never entered it anywhere. ive read a ton of them, and most of them suck.

 

[Kunty McPhuck]

If you got the dough do the McKee seminar