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

Stez

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LOL, I'm going through the same thing right now.

Half the battle is knowing/being told you've written too much. Sometimes you can feel like you're trying to paint a picture, which is right, but if you take one pass of the script, scaling back, you'll realize what needs to be cut.

"The Rock walks out, sweat dripping from his brow, taking in the crowd for a moment at the top of the ramp before sauntering towards the ring, basking in the energy of the supporting crowd. He climbs up to the ring, pausing before stepping between the ropes and walking to the corner, climbing the turnbuckle and raising a fist in the air"

Could/should be:

"The Rock walks out, sweating, taking in the crowd as he saunters towards the ring, before he steps between the ropes, climbs the far corner turnbuckle and raises a fist in the air"

A friend of mine told me once that I write well, but it's a script, not a novel, and I should be careful to know the difference.

This is exactly what I'm talking about. I think what I'd be best doing is writing out the way I am and then just revisiting the whole thing, fresh pair of eyes, with a screenplay eye for detail and scale the shyt back. Refine it. I'm comfortable with the structure (I think). It's the style. I've read a couple of screenplays the last couple of days and notice the one thing that hooks me in is the subtle and snappy wording. Short, concise, to the point and it keeps me hooked in and before I know it I've read a bunch of pages. That seems to be the real art of a good script. One that keeps your attention with few words.
 

steadyrighteous

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This is exactly what I'm talking about. I think what I'd be best doing is writing out the way I am and then just revisiting the whole thing, fresh pair of eyes, with a screenplay eye for detail and scale the shyt back. Refine it. I'm comfortable with the structure (I think). It's the style. I've read a couple of screenplays the last couple of days and notice the one thing that hooks me in is the subtle and snappy wording. Short, concise, to the point and it keeps me hooked in and before I know it I've read a bunch of pages. That seems to be the real art of a good script. One that keeps your attention with few words.

Yeah that's absolutely it. It's the wording that's so important. You can say a lot with one word and still keep it short. So instead of saying someone "walks" to the ring, maybe his walk is distinctive, maybe he's "sauntering" or "ambling" or "striding".

Those little, short, punchier words are more than just synonyms, they really do help you paint a picture, because two characters can do the same thing, but that verb you use to describe it can say a ton about each individual character.
 

Stez

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Yeah that's absolutely it. It's the wording that's so important. You can say a lot with one word and still keep it short. So instead of saying someone "walks" to the ring, maybe his walk is distinctive, maybe he's "sauntering" or "ambling" or "striding".

Those little, short, punchier words are more than just synonyms, they really do help you paint a picture, because two characters can do the same thing, but that verb you use to describe it can say a ton about each individual character.

Difficulty seems to be some of the story I want to tell is action alone, and little dialogue. It's how that translates when reading it. Unsure if that will stand alone and be strong enough, or whether I'd need to chop it up and use dialogue interspersed throughout, like say a commentator or a referee or just plain shyt talking in the ring.
 
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Thug Waffle

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I copped Celtx fo the iPad, put some work in and came up with 20 pages. I need between 50-60 for a TV series pilot though? :dwillhuh:

This gonna take some damn-ass time :sadcam: For anyone interested, the premise is a TV drama based around a professional wrestling company, like The Wrestler. My idea was to base it in the early-mid 90's, when the wrestling boom began in North America. I wasn't sure whether to run it kayfabe, or lift the lid, and expose the pre-conceived element of it. I suppose people are happy to suspend their belief of the reality if the story is strong enough? This will be more about their real lives outside the ring and how they behave behind the curtain, as much as in front of it. That's the plan anyway.

damn 50-60 page drama pilot? you tryin to get this on a premium network or what? cable would be more like 44 pages (usually). i dig the idea, though. i think it's pretty clear you're going to have to explore the staged element of the medium and you can definitely justify it. maybe you'll convert some of those people who turned away from wrestling after they found out it was fake because they felt betrayed, when really it was kind of obvious from the start lol.

low key though i am so glad this thread is here. just found it.
 

Conz

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be warned with Blacklist... they just don't seem to like comedy. I've read what i consider some damn funny scripts from people and they've gotten like 5's on the Black List.

now, ive never put a script on the site myself, but i get the emails and i swear they have never once sent one about a comedy. it's always shyt that i have zero interest in.

But yo, I have an old comedy script that I haven't thought about in a while. Anyone want to read it? I'd be curious to get notes. I don't know if I have any intention on going back to it, but I may if i get some good notes. No big deal if not.

It's got a Horrible Bosses vibe, which sucked when i was already writing as that movie came out. they aren't that close, but people would immediately compare it to that and say i "stole" the idea i bet. It's called "The Buzzkill."
 
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Hugs

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be warned with Blacklist... they just don't seem to like comedy. I've read what i consider some damn funny scripts from people and they've gotten like 5's on the Black List.

now, ive never put a script on the site myself, but i get the emails and i swear they have never once sent one about a comedy. it's always shyt that i have zero interest in.

But yo, I have an old comedy script that I haven't thought about in a while. Anyone want to read it? I'd be curious to get notes. I don't know if I have any intention on going back to it, but I may if i get some good notes. No big deal if not.

It's got a Horrible Bosses vibe, which sucked when i was already writing as that movie came out. they aren't that close, but people would immediately compare it to that and say i "stole" the idea i bet. It's called "The Buzzkill."

Shoot me a pm, bruh.
 

Hugs

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If anyone wants constructive criticism on their scripts, just pm them to me.
 

thearmdealer

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I'm more of a cinematographer but my homie been going to film school for a year now and just finish writing his first feature. He said that he wanted to send the script to film festivals and sites like Amazon studios. I read his first draft and its an amazing story.:wow: It's sci fi/horror/drama with a lot of action at the end.

I think its like 105 pages with probably get cut down to 90-95 although like the final six or seven pages are mainly action lines.
 

TheGodling

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I'm more of a cinematographer but my homie been going to film school for a year now and just finish writing his first feature. He said that he wanted to send the script to film festivals and sites like Amazon studios. I read his first draft and its an amazing story.:wow: It's sci fi/horror/drama with a lot of action at the end.

I think its like 105 pages with probably get cut down to 90-95 although like the final six or seven pages are mainly action lines.

If he wants to try out, Bluecat got their screenplay competition going on right now, regular deadline ($65 entry fee) is in two weeks, final deadline ($70) is in November.

http://bluecatscreenplay.com

Regardless of outcome you get one written analysis and a lot of their finalists and winners have developed steady careers. They're not judgmental about genre and stuff either, one of their winners was the screenplay to the Sean William Scott movie Balls Out: Gary The Tennis Coach.

I submitted my first screenplay in the '10 contest and got to the quarter finalists (which I think meant it was in the top 300 out of 3000+ screenplays) as well as being a finalist on the movie title contest. Submitted my second screenplay in the '12 contest, didn't stand a chance.

As far as screenplay competitions go it's amongst the best you can get. They've got interviews with tons of writers, the readers for the competition, they keep track of the finalists' careers and share their stories.
 

Conz

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Balls Out is fukkin hilarious and one of the most underseen comedies of the decade
 
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