www.jengo.8m.com
| HOME | A-Z FILM LINKS | ABOUT | FEEDBACK | F.A.Q.s |
| WRITERS' F.A.Q.s | HOLLYWOOD READER'S CHECKLIST |
| LINKS | ALL ABOUT AGENTS | LIST OF UK AGENTS |
The resources I have collected here are guidelines for beginners. The information contained in this page is collected from over a decade of working professionally in the British film industry. A lot of the information may seem obvious common sense, so please forgive the lecturing, but I have been a freelance Reader, evaluating scripts for various producers and directors for nearly six years as part of my job. I have recently made the move from Reader to Writer myself, which is possibly another reason why I am so passionate about this subject! I hope that this guide will grow even better from my new experiences as writer, and I will pass on any new advice, knowledge or information that I find useful, which I hope will benefit you in your own quest as a writer.LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
This page is purely advice from my own experience to give you a free helping hand, success is not a guarantee. You should use your own common sense and seek legal advice if you are unsure about anything. Reading this page binds you to a legal agreement that any outcome or lack of outcome is nothing to do with this page or me and that you promise to never sue me. Yes, working in the film industry has made me paranoid! Like Fox Mulder says: "Don't trust anyone!"BEING A SCREENWRITER:
It takes more to being a screenwriter than writing a screenplay. You may be already aware of the many difficulties facing both new and established screenwriting talent. It's a very tough industry to work in, partly because of the fierce competition - there are a lot of people writing screenplays out there: Established screenwriters, newly produced screenwriters, various established film professionals who want to write screenplays, novelists that want to see their book on the big screen, film students, media students and a huge number of movie buffs around the globe who also have a story to tell.
I believe everyone should have an equal chance to tell their stories and new writing talent needs to be encouraged - hence my various pages offering free advice that is open to all. BUT, you have to be aware and prepared of the hard work and complexities involved to bring your idea to the big screen.
• You have to not mind or be bothered by rejection, criticism and disappointment. You can find some good advice on coping with rejection here: www.litopia.com/tools/rejection.
• You need, not only be a good writer with a great, unusual and appealing story to tell, you need technical knowledge, life knowledge and experience, resourcefulness, tenacity, focus, flexibility, patience and a desire to make films that is so strong that you will jump through all the hoops and obstacles you come across to achieve your goal.
• You have to be able to sell both yourself and your idea with confidence and have a good working knowledge of the business. The actual writing is only a small part of the film-making process, but it is arguably the most important. As a screenwriter you have both a great responsibility and a great challenge. Screenwriting is highly specialised and very different from any other form of writing. It is vastly different to writing a novel and is even different than writing for television. Knowing these differences is vital to your success. I can't really give you all the answers as writing screenplays is as much art as science. It is born out of passion for a story, instinct, storytelling skills, technical knowledge, hard work and the ability to think like a film-maker. This is just a rough guide to screenwriting... really, the rest is up to you.| HOW TO START | PRESENTATION | LAYOUT | LEGAL |
| COPYRIGHT | DISTRIBUTION | AGENTS | PITCHING | THE INDUSTRY |HOW TO START:
If you have a great idea for a film... but have never written a screenplay before and don't know where to start? This section is especially for you!
HOW TO GET STARTED.PRESENTATION:
Apart from the well written script of a good idea, the most important advice I can offer is: Good presentation counts for a lot. The more professional it looks, the more likely you and your screenplay will be taken seriously. Don't use any gimmicks to get yourself noticed, if your work is good you will have no use for them. You screenplay should be able to sell itself.
You have to put yourself in the position of the script reader. Which would you prefer to read? A hand written loose document or a neatly bound word processed document in a familiar layout. Film companies read and receive thousands of scripts, so the easier you make it for them to read the more likely it will get read sooner and most importantly all the way through!
Your reader must not be able to put it down!
Give the reader too many obstacles and they may give up!Binding Your Script:
Make sure you bind your script. NEVER, EVER send it out loose sheeted. If you cannot afford a proper spiral binding, you can hand hole-punch and use special metal clips (ACCO FASTENERS No. 70850 are brilliant! They're only £2.50 for a pack of 50), and found in most reputable office stationary shops: www.staples.co.uk for the uk, or www.staples.com for the U.S.A.. Office World and Viking Direct also supply them.
Front Cover
The best advice is keep it simple and formatted to industry specifications. A friend advised me this is imperative, especially if your reader is from the 'old school' of Hollywood. They can throw it out just because the cover looks too fancy. Stupid to judge a book by it's cover, I know, but it's a harsh reality! If you want to be taken as a professional, keep it professional.
For more details about the cover see my: Front cover example as to what information should be on the cover and its layout. You can also download the pdf file below!
PDF Download: Cover Sample.
LAYOUT:
It is vitally important to get the layout of a screenplay correct. The film industry uses it's own format, which makes it easier for professionals to read and work with. There are also different formats/layouts for different types of scripts. A script format for film is called a screenplay and it is different to a script for television (called a teleplay) and is also different for a stage play (play) and radio (radioplay). We will concentrate here on the film screenplay format.The easiest way is to use specialist screenwriting software from companies such as www.screenwriterstore.co.uk. You can buy professional scriptwriting programmes like Final Draft from about £150-200. This can be costly for the first time screenwriter. Don't fret if you can't afford these state-of-the-art programmes - it may take a longer and is more of a hassle, but you can set up the document format on most word processing programmes, I myself have done so on Word, Works and Claris. There are also several free downloads online for basic script templates. I have not used these, so can't say what they are like or which is the best to use. For an example and more details see here: Layout example. You can also download the pdf file below for a sample!
PDF Download: Layout Sample.
IMPORTANT TIPS: THE LAYOUT COMMANDMENTS!
• Thou shalt format thy screenplay to the industry standard.
• Thou shalt use a readable typeface or your script will be put down!
The industry standard is "Courier New" or “Courier” size 12 (It looks like typewriter type)• Thou shalt number all the pages (except the cover).
If you're using a word processor, 'insert' a page counter in the top right hand corner of the header in Courier New size 12. I like to insert a full-stop after the number.• Thou shalt NOT put scene numbers in at this time.
These are only put in when your script has been sold and goes into pre-production. This is because your screenplay will normally be developed and could involve extensive re-writing and re-jigging of the script and it will be a nightmare to sort out the scenes.• Thou shalt underline and / or bold every new scene heading.
Scene headings should stand out and be either/and/or be IN CAPITALS AND UNDERLINED AND OPTIONAL BOLD and have a description whether it’s INT. interior, EXT. exterior, location and whether it’s day or night.• Thou shalt double space at the end of a scene.
This makes each scene separation stand out more clearly.• Thou shalt keep scene descriptions clean and precise with no camera directions.
Yes really! Don’t clog up the script with directorial or technical camera moves such as: "camera pans left", "camera zooms here", et cetera, unless it is absolutely necessary to the story, such as a "pull back to reveal..." and even then these should be used sparingly. I've found film students are often the worst offenders at this often placing direction for every single shot. It's distracting, disrupts the flow and tends to look amateurish. Just tell the story.• Make any CHARACTERS appear in capitals wherever mentioned, other than in dialogue.
• Thou shalt bind your screenplay properly, making sure all other documentation that is not actual script separate.
i.e. keep synopsis, pictures, your CV and any presentation documents bound sepeartely - NOT IN THE SCREENPLAY!• Thou shalt have a screenplay more than 90 pages, but no more than 125. I have been told there is a current trend in Hollywood, for shorter rather than longer screenplays.
• Thou shalt put on the cover who you have registered copyright with and the registration number and all your contact details.
• Also see the Hollywood Readers Checklist, which details exactly what the Readers are looking for.
LEGAL STUFF:
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The information here is given for guidance only and based on my own personal experiences as a layman. It is not intended to be taken as specific advice for individual circumstances. It is not to be regarded as constituting legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. I am not a legal advisor nor am I qualified in this area, you need to see a specialist in Entertainment Law for that. This is just a starting point and what you do with the information you find here is up to you and any outcome or lack of outcome is not my responsibility. asFor legal advice and contracts there are quite a few good sites around such as The Writers Guild of America, Script Sales and The ScripWriter Magazine site. There is also a very good American book called "The Business of Screenwriting - How to Protect Yourself as a Screenwriter " By Ron Suppa, which goes into a lot of details about selling screenplays. It focusses on the Hollywood market.
WORKING IN A TEAM:
If you are working with another person(s), I suggest you draw up some form of written agreement to protect yourself and the other person(s). This is incase things don't work out and you want to go separate ways, or if your work takes off big-time, your partner(s) can't dump you to get more money for themselves, etc. For more information of my own experiences, click here: contracts. Again I advise you to get any contract, deal memo, or written agreement checked over by your Guild, Union, Agent or Lawyer before you sign.
COPYRIGHT:
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The information here is given for guidance only. It is not intended to be taken as specific advice for individual circumstances. It is not to be regarded as constituting legal advice and should not be relied upon as such.
The most important thing you must do as a writer is to protect yourself and your work. The issues regarding copyright are very complex and change from country to country. It is best get advice from the professional bodies that are directly involved, such as the guilds and official copyright bodies. I have a collection of useful advice and links to many of the official organisations and sites that deal with copyright here.
It is important that you register your work with a professional body as soon as you can. I register as soon as I have a full synopsis and character breakdown, then register again when I have a first draft script. This MUST be done BEFORE you even talk to anyone about your idea’s, let alone when you send out a completed script. When you have registered your work, always keep a list of who you have pitched to and who has received any written material, including date, time and details. Also try to only send your work to more reputable companies - not just some guy you met in a pub who’s friend is a film-maker. There are several ways to protect yourself and I list the most popular ways on my copyright page.SENDING IT OUT:
Before you dash to the post box to send your screenplay to anyone who may read it, you will need first to make sure it really is ready and then plan your marketing approach and pitch.
Most screenplay's I have read in my life have been underdeveloped. I read an interesting pitch, but the screenplay doesn't live up to it. You have to take your time to make your screenplay the best it can possibly be. It has to be script perfection. Most writers think they have got their script to that stage, but in reality it's not as good as it should be. Competition is fierce and the standard in the industry is very high. Have confidence in your work, but only when you know you have done your best to meet a high industry standard.PITCHING & MARKETING:
This section is new and under construction, please return another day!
Before you can pitch your script to someone, you need to know what you have got. If you know what you have and send your scripts and pitch to the most suitable companies, you are more likely to be successful.
The best newsletter I have found is movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/ScriptForSale. Home page: www.ScriptForSale.comPRODUCTION COMPANIES
A lot of film companies to not take ‘cold’ submissions (someone just sending their script in) it is best to target companies that accept outside submissions. Phone and ask beforehand. The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook contains a full list of UK Production Companies and details any specialisation and submissions policy. It is updated every year, so provides the lastest information covering all aspects of professional writing. You can buy the book online for £14 plus postage at: www.acblack.com
AGENTS
It may be a good idea to send your script to Literary or talent AGENT that specialise in representing screenwriters, as it is a good way to get your script seen by the right people. The only thing is they only usually take people by refferal. Make sure that they specialise in film wri00ters. You can find a list of UK Agencies on my LIST OF UK AGENTS. For Agencies in the USA you can find a list on the Writers’ Guild of Ameica site: www.wga.org. The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook also contains a full list of UK Literary Agents: www.acblack.com
SENDING OUT YOUR SCRIPT:
If you are a first time screenwriter it can be costly to generate, copy and send out a full length script to lots of people, so you could send out a 1 page synopsis or a twenty-to-thirty page treatment. If someone loves your synopsis or treatment you can then send them your screenplay.A treatment describes the scene in brief and includes selected dialogue. Basically it's like telling a story, a condensed film script giving a good flavour of the full screenplay. its usually 4 - 20 pages long. You could also send a one/two page synopsis.
If you have written your idea as a novel; go to a book publisher, not a filmmaker!
THE OPENING LETTER:
Keep it simple, direct and professional. No gimmicks. Also do not have anything else in your bound screenplay that is not screenplay. Any synopsis, presentation brochure, artwork, character breakdowns or any other material should be presented separately. Also it is considered very unprofessional to send in casting suggestions or a cast list. You could possibly get away with mentioning a lead suggestion in your introductory letter but ONLY IF it is appropriate to the company or Director you are writing to if you know for a fact that they have worked together previously or have mentioned they would like to, but generally the practice is highly frowned upon. If you want to look like a professional, don't do it.
HOW TO GET A REPLY:
If you want to get your script back always send a stamped, self-addressed envelope with it, for it almost guarantees a reply. If you are sending it to another country, replace a stamp with an International Reply Coupon to cover the postage. This is available from most Post Offices.AND FINALLY . . .
It is a very tough Industry with a lot of competition out there so be prepared for disappointment. Just keep at it. If you are determined enough and follow these basic guidelines, you may probably get there... eventually.Good Luck!
| HOME | A-Z FILM LINKS | ABOUT | FEEDBACK | F.A.Q.s0 |