|
Getting Started: The Big Bang
Many people who tackle screenplays have little or no experience as writers, let alone screenwriters. All they know is that they love movies, and, very often, they think they have a better idea than the film they saw last night at their local theater or on television. Unfortunately, they don't know how to write a screenplay. The short cut, they figure, is to contact a producer and sell their idea. Usually, they are surprised to learn that producers do not buy ideas. They want completed screenplays. Typically, when you have an idea for a movie, you must write the script yourself.
Perhaps you remain undaunted. You think, "Okay. I can write the script. Get in, collect the cash, and get out." Alas, first screenplays almost never sell, and writers with only one script have very little future. Even in the best circumstances, going from script to screen usually takes years. |
|
|
By now, if you sense that screenwriting is a medium for career-
Screenwriting is drama. The name of the game is screenPLAY. Not screen novel or screen short story. Yes, screenwriters are playwrights. Very special playwrights, of course, but like all playwrights, we present a story through a performance by actors. To that end, we create behavior for actors to perform. The addition of the camera does affect a performance, however, meaning that drama written for film has different requirements than a play written for the stage. To have hope of success as screenwriter, you must learn to write drama, but you must also understand and accept the needs of film.
Have you ever studied drama? Have you read many plays? Have you participated in the production of a play? In particular, have you done any acting? Even just working backstage to help put on a show? All of those experiences can be a great help to you.
Frankly, most new aspiring screenwriters have no background in theater arts. Very often they are people who read a great deal, and they love novels and short stories as well as movies. They may have a background writing narrative prose. But dramatic narrative and narrative prose are different things. Some great novelists of our time had trouble making the transition, and many fine dramatists have lacked the novelist's vision. Those who succeed in both art forms are to be admired. But such a dual gift is rare, and no writer should feel bad if they are not blessed with it.
How do you know if you have a dramatist's vision? Well, how do you tell a friend or your spouse what happened on the job today? How do you behave when you read a story to a child? How do you tell a joke? Do you sit with your hands in your lap and rely on words to describe and explain the situation? Or are you inclined to gesture? Do you stand up and show a special posture or gait? Make faces? Change your voice? People with dramatic inclinations will act things out. They show rather than tell.
Is "show" behavior the only indicator? No. But it is the easiest aspect to identify. If you are a person who has absolutely no inclination toward performance, are you doomed as a screenwriter? No. But much will depend on your ability and your willingness to adapt.
The only way you will know is by learning the fundamentals of screenwriting and trying them out.. Be aware that learning this craft takes time, work, and patience. Above all, you must hold your own in the face of harsh criticism and frequent rejection. After reading all the above, if you still are not shaking in your boots, by all means, take your best shot. This crazy business just might appeal to you.
To ask a specific question, send an email inquiry to wendy@angelfire-
| |
|
Other Helpful Screenwriting Sites:
Many sites on the Internet can help you with screenwriting. Below are some I find
helpful, and I recommend them. They are absolutely free. Just click on the links.
Your local library also may offer material. Exercise caution, though. The film industry
is dynamic and constantly evolving. Its preferences and standards change over time.
If a format or how-
| |
|
Dave Trottier (Format information)
Cinematic Terms: a Filmmaking Glossary
|
|
