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

[steadyrighteous]

If you're writing a comedy I would always aim for funny first, especially if its a pilot, the drama will hit even harder when you bring it in later.

I'm on Episode 3, and I'm a little iffy on the "funny first" concept, but I'll try and explain my thought process lol

I'd rather have a compelling story first and foremost (at least for this shyt I'm writing), than jokes that may fall flat. Comedy is subjective, so depending on who's reading it, your humour may not line up with theirs, but if your story connects, they may overlook the jokes that hit/miss.

 

[Conz]

unless you're planning on shooting it yourself, stop writing your show. you're wasting your time writing multiple episodes. write a pilot, maybe a followup and a bible with potential storylines.

 

[steadyrighteous]

unless you're planning on shooting it yourself, stop writing your show. you're wasting your time writing multiple episodes. write a pilot, maybe a followup and a bible with potential storylines.

I'm working with a former TV/Music video director, and award winning advertising producer/director on this show.

I've written 2 episodes so far, currently writing the 3rd, a 10 episode breakdown for the 1st season, 2nd season rough overview and character breakdowns.

At the moment, the 2 heads of a partner to a major cable network are reading it (allegedly/hopefully) and we're waiting to hear back, as well as reaching out to other people.

 

[PlayerNinety_Nine]

I'm working with a former TV/Music video director, and award winning advertising producer/director on this show.

I've written 2 episodes so far, currently writing the 3rd, a 10 episode breakdown for the 1st season, 2nd season rough overview and character breakdowns.

At the moment, the 2 heads of a partner to a major cable network are reading it (allegedly/hopefully) and we're waiting to hear back, as well as reaching out to other people.

Hope it works out for you, breh

 

[steadyrighteous]

Hope it works out for you, breh

LOL, this might all be for nothing my nikka, but right now, I'm writing for 2 reasons:

1. If the looks my partner is getting me pay off, I have a shot at keeping my show all mine, and writing it myself on some True Detective shyt (no plagiarism lol)

2. If I keep writing, even though I'm just a broke freelance copywriter, I can still pretend to myself I'm pursuing something lol

 

[ghostwriterx]

I'm on Episode 3, and I'm a little iffy on the "funny first" concept, but I'll try and explain my thought process lol

I'd rather have a compelling story first and foremost (at least for this shyt I'm writing), than jokes that may fall flat. Comedy is subjective, so depending on who's reading it, your humour may not line up with theirs, but if your story connects, they may overlook the jokes that hit/miss.

Yep that's key, although I think for comedy when it comes to what's funny I think its all about the characters and the situations you put them in. If you get that down, the "story" could be so-so. Seinfeld was dropping classics about walking around looking for your car in a parking lot, nothing compelling about that.

 

[PlayerNinety_Nine]

LOL, this might all be for nothing my nikka, but right now, I'm writing for 2 reasons:

1. If the looks my partner is getting me pay off, I have a shot at keeping my show all mine, and writing it myself on some True Detective shyt (no plagiarism lol)

2. If I keep writing, even though I'm just a broke freelance copywriter, I can still pretend to myself I'm pursuing something lol

Breh - you never know. I've seen people luck into the craziest situations - you're actively working towards a goal. Keep at it.

I feel you on the 'creative control' thing. The reason so much entertainment is the same today is because anything that's different gets noted to death til it's as dry and dull as everything else that comes out.

 

[steadyrighteous]

Yep that's key, although I think for comedy when it comes to what's funny I think its all about the characters and the situations you put them in. If you get that down, the "story" could be so-so. Seinfeld was dropping classics about walking around looking for your car in a parking lot, nothing compelling about that.

Yeah I feel you. I just finished my 3rd go round of Seinfeld from front to back 2 weeks ago.

What I tried to do was build the characters, as full people not just traits, then, built a world for them, before I wrote a single thing, so that in a way, the story generated itself.

It also makes/made it easier to write, because when I had them down as fully fleshed out people, all I had to do was point them in a direction, and their words, jokes and reactions wrote themselves. The one thing my partner said when he first read it was "I just believe it... I believe that these people exist and that this world exists, it doesn't seem false in any way"

...then he game me notes

Can't even lie, only like 4 or 5 notes, and they legit made a difference for the better lol

Breh - you never know. I've seen people luck into the craziest situations - you're actively working towards a goal. Keep at it.

I feel you on the 'creative control' thing. The reason so much entertainment is the same today is because anything that's different gets noted to death til it's as dry and dull as everything else that comes out.

Low key, I'm trying to write as much as possible to A. Show that as a newbie, I know what I'm doing and B. Leave very few holes for notes or "What if they went to summer camp one episode?" notes. If I give them a full thing, there's no room for them to cram in their BS... I hope

 

[Conz]

I'm working with a former TV/Music video director, and award winning advertising producer/director on this show.

I've written 2 episodes so far, currently writing the 3rd, a 10 episode breakdown for the 1st season, 2nd season rough overview and character breakdowns.

At the moment, the 2 heads of a partner to a major cable network are reading it (allegedly/hopefully) and we're waiting to hear back, as well as reaching out to other people.

well there ya go, that's a good reason to keep writing.

i didn't even take note to who made the comment. i see a lot of amateurs on the net who have writting entire seasons worth of dogshyt and i feel bad they spent so much time on something that even if brilliant barely has a prayer to be made, especially as originally planned

 

[PlayerNinety_Nine]

What I tried to do was build the characters, as full people not just traits, then, built a world for them, before I wrote a single thing,

That was super important to me as well. I had to know what a motherfukker's favourite song was, where he liked to go eat, what teams he followed - all of that.

 

[steadyrighteous]

well there ya go, that's a good reason to keep writing.

i didn't even take note to who made the comment. i see a lot of amateurs on the net who have writting entire seasons worth of dogshyt and i feel bad they spent so much time on something that even if brilliant barely has a prayer to be made, especially as originally planned

I'm probably only 1 step above this

I'm hoping this bullshyt "thoughts become things" Charlamagne keeps spouting actually works lol

 

[steadyrighteous]

That was super important to me as well. I had to know what a motherfukker's favourite song was, where he liked to go eat, what teams he followed - all of that.

For real. Before I wrote a thing - story, plot, jokes, situations, anything - I "watched" my show in my head every night for over 6 months. I know shyt about the main cast that matter to who they are, but an "audience" will never know, or need to know. It just helps inform their decisions, actions, and words.

 

[Conz]

i sit on shyt for so long, and make so many notes that i know the entire script in my head already... now the problem is it's gonna take me weeks to decipher and puzzle everything together into the outline. i used to do that but then immediately write, now i wait to long - and it's probably for the better for the finished product, but im almost giving myself extra tedious steps.

ive been putting off writing a screenplay for so long, but have so many notes (ive done fukkin biographical pages for each character down to the 7th lead) i could probably recite the entire thing in a pitch meeting with no paper involved.

 

[steadyrighteous]

i sit on shyt for so long, and make so many notes that i know the entire script in my head already... now the problem is it's gonna take me weeks to decipher and puzzle everything together into the outline. i used to do that but then immediately write, now i wait to long - and it's probably for the better for the finished product, but im almost giving myself extra tedious steps.

ive been putting off writing a screenplay for so long, but have so many notes (ive done fukkin biographical pages for each character down to the 7th lead) i could probably recite the entire thing in a pitch meeting with no paper involved.

That's not a completely bad thing. That's kinda what happened with me. I was sitting on this shyt for so long, never told a soul (besides brehs in this thread and my momma) that I wanted to write TV lol.

The first person that I told was the producer, who I met through a small unrelated freelance gig, and I unloaded my 6 months of thoughts on him and he was like

"This sounds awesome, you written anything?" - and I was like

"...no"

He said go write, so I did.

Now I'm sitting home ready to have my hopes dashed and finally become a real writer - bitter and jaded!

 

[Conz]

let me read your shyt.