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

[Wiirdo]

Anyone here ever thought of adapting their script/idea into a graphic novel or comic? I mean if you wanted to do it yourself or with a partner you could get 100% creative control and no budget restrictions, just your imagination.

 

[Roaden Polynice]

A few questions for the brehs about writing, and not actually about writing screenplays or anything. I'm more into the criticism, long form essay type of thing.

(1) How do you guys receive feedback on your writing?

For the past several months I've been writing almost every day (I've missed a few days here and there of course) and my general routine has been to write every night once I get home from work. I usually watch a movie or two, take notes and then sit and write about it at length. It's not really meant to be published but it's helping me explore ideas and the works in much greater depth than when I just passively watch a film. Though no one ever reads my stuff. I post bits and pieces on the coli here and there but that's about it.

(2) How do you get over yourself? Or break down mental barriers?

One of my biggest challenges is always telling myself that what I'm writing isn't good enough, or that I'm wasting my time. I reckon that every writer or person who sets out to write runs into these thoughts frequently. How do you guys get over those humps? How do you convince yourself or how have you convinced yourself that what you are doing is worthwhile and that you have something that is worth saying or ideas that are worth pursuing and writing about?

 

[Master Teacher]

A few questions for the brehs about writing, and not actually about writing screenplays or anything. I'm more into the criticism, long form essay type of thing.

(1) How do you guys receive feedback on your writing?

For the past several months I've been writing almost every day (I've missed a few days here and there of course) and my general routine has been to write every night once I get home from work. I usually watch a movie or two, take notes and then sit and write about it at length. It's not really meant to be published but it's helping me explore ideas and the works in much greater depth than when I just passively watch a film. Though no one ever reads my stuff. I post bits and pieces on the coli here and there but that's about it.

(2) How do you get over yourself? Or break down mental barriers?

One of my biggest challenges is always telling myself that what I'm writing isn't good enough, or that I'm wasting my time. I reckon that every writer or person who sets out to write runs into these thoughts frequently. How do you guys get over those humps? How do you convince yourself or how have you convinced yourself that what you are doing is worthwhile and that you have something that is worth saying or ideas that are worth pursuing and writing about?

First thing you have to do is get written down no matter how badly put together it is

Then you can go over it with a frame to work with

Lastly you have to be confident that your story is good and in your abilities

 

[ghostwriterx]

A few questions for the brehs about writing, and not actually about writing screenplays or anything. I'm more into the criticism, long form essay type of thing.

(1) How do you guys receive feedback on your writing?

For the past several months I've been writing almost every day (I've missed a few days here and there of course) and my general routine has been to write every night once I get home from work. I usually watch a movie or two, take notes and then sit and write about it at length. It's not really meant to be published but it's helping me explore ideas and the works in much greater depth than when I just passively watch a film. Though no one ever reads my stuff. I post bits and pieces on the coli here and there but that's about it.

Start with people you trust, other writers if possible, bunch of online communities where you can get feedback as well.

(2) How do you get over yourself? Or break down mental barriers?

One of my biggest challenges is always telling myself that what I'm writing isn't good enough, or that I'm wasting my time. I reckon that every writer or person who sets out to write runs into these thoughts frequently. How do you guys get over those humps? How do you convince yourself or how have you convinced yourself that what you are doing is worthwhile and that you have something that is worth saying or ideas that are worth pursuing and writing about?

If you've been writing everyday for the past several months, you've already convinced yourself. That's the hardest part. If you can manage to do the work everyday, on some level you enjoy what you're doing and are confident about the quality. Just trust that and keep plugging away.

 

[Wise]

My first screenplay was a nice 105 pages. My second I quit at 150 pages as the story just moved into the third act when it simply got too bloated. My third screenplay topped off at just 139 pages after I cut down huge parts to get it eligible for some of the screenplay competitions I enter. That's over three years ago, haven't really gotten back into writing since.

Just imagine how many scripts you would have written by now. Probably a dozen, had you continued.

A large variety you could query.

(2) How do you get over yourself? Or break down mental barriers?

One of my biggest challenges is always telling myself that what I'm writing isn't good enough, or that I'm wasting my time. I reckon that every writer or person who sets out to write runs into these thoughts frequently. How do you guys get over those humps? How do you convince yourself or how have you convinced yourself that what you are doing is worthwhile and that you have something that is worth saying or ideas that are worth pursuing and writing about?

Keep writing. As cliche as it sounds, that's what you should. I'm the wrong guy to give you that advice as I've only written one which I finished last August and did edits until earl this year, and only got 8 pages into the new one.

50% of the people who say they want to write a script never do.

Be the other 50%.

 

[Conz]

im goin to Vegas this week, and i plan on coming home and putting all of my free time focus back into this shyt. keep this thread chuggin, and hopefully I'll have some shyt to add.

really want to work on a "family comedy" idea. i feel like it's more challenging to actually write a funny script without vulgarity and sex. we shall see.

 

[ghostwriterx]

Trailer for a webseries I created.


Ep 1 comes out on Tuesday July 15th

Let me know your thoughts.

 

[Goat poster]

Trailer for a webseries I created.


Ep 1 comes out on Tuesday July 15th

Let me know your thoughts.

Dope!!

Keep it up. My homeboy dropped a web series under Issa Rae's (awkward black girl) network on Youtube.

Check it out.

 

[steadyrighteous]

Trailer for a webseries I created.


Ep 1 comes out on Tuesday July 15th

Let me know your thoughts.

LOL

Like the closing joke of the trailer man!

Good shyt

 

[MenacingMonk]

Anyone have a list of all the terms used when writing a script?

 

[StraxStrax]

Trailer for a webseries I created.


Ep 1 comes out on Tuesday July 15th

Let me know your thoughts.

The jokes are good and the actor look decent, the sound in the trailer seems kinda lackluster

 

[Clark Wayne]

Even though this is a screenwriting & filmmaking thread, I'm definitely going start on a novel I've been meaning to write. Like a poster said above, getting over a mental barrier is one of the hardest things ever. But after thinking about it and even looking at advice online, the one common thing is that the best thing you can do is write it all out and then go back and edit.

Even if your writing may be shyt and most likely it will, if you constantly let that inner voice in your mind eat away at you, you will never get anything finished. That's always been my biggest problem, along with procrastination, and I'm hoping to change that soon.

 

[newworldafro]

Thread makes me sad. I wrote at least 10 scripts, 6 of which I believe are full length. Entered endless contests, contacted reps, nothing happened. Another closed industry to the black man.

What were the stories generally pertaining too?

 

[↓R↑LYB]

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 shyt breh. Just started thinking about writing screenplays and your basketball story is pretty cool.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

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.

Have you made any money yet? If not keep grinding breh. You remind me of myself when I was trying to get into IT