Simply put, it is the art of writing scripts for a visual medium. Unlike a play where the action is "talked out," the action within a screenplay is "acted out" visually. The old saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" was never more appropriate in relation to screenwriting. Having had the benefit of reading many screenplays as a reader, one of the most annoying, teeth grinding, nails against a chalkboard, signal of bad screenwriting is when the reader is told something instead of shown something. For example, I can't put a number on the amount of screenplays I've read with descriptions like this:
"JOHN enters the room. He is Frank's best friend and the life of the party."
OK. We, the readers, are supposed to know this because the writer said it? What makes matters worse is when, right after making this statement, the character of John engages in an activity or line of dialogue not even remotely associated with his "life of the party" description. In a movie script, the writer should introduce every action and/or character the same way the moviegoers will be introduced to them on the screen. Now compare the above introduction of John to this one:
"As Frank makes his way through the crowd of people at the house party, his attention turns to where the loudest commotion is coming from. As he enters into the living room we see his friend JOHN surrounded by hoops and hollers, dancing on a table while a beautiful topless blond sits on a chair receiving a lap dance from him."
Get it? Now doesn't this get the point across visually that John is not an introvert? In screenwriting you must always check to see if what you are trying to get across is being transmitted visually at all times. Not to downplay or trivialize dialogue, but no matter if the movie you are watching is good or bad, you can watch a movie on cable, turn down the volume, watch the movie from beginning to end with no sound, and know exactly what the movie is about. Why? Because a screenplay has to be VISUAL or else the movie will not be made. To show you just how important visual writing is, some writers do not write a line of dialogue until the structure and flow of the action is completed from beginning to end. They write the dialogue last because when they go to each scene, know what the scene is for, and what will happen in the next scene, they will be able to write the dialogue within a context.
"How NOT to write a screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make," by Denny Martin Flinn, is probably the first book you need to read if you want to know not only how a good screenplay is NOT written, but also the mindset of the Hollywood script reader. This is important because if you don't impress the script reader, the person the people with the money use to filter out the good from the bad screenplays, no one else will see it. You may not write a great script after reading and applying the wisdom within its pages, but you will not write a bad one.
On the flip side if you want to know HOW to write a screenplay, look no further than "Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting," by Syd Feld. I personally recommend this book because not only is Mr. Feld known as "the father of structure," but also he deals specifically with the art of screenwriting and less with the business of the movie industry. No need to rush. That part will come later. "The Screenwriter's Workbook" is another book by Syd Feld and the companion book to Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting.
"500 Ways To Beat The Hollywood Script Reader: Writing the Screenplay the Reader Will Recommend," by Jennifer M. Lerch concentrates on how to make your screenplay enjoyable to the Hollywood reader and literally gives you 500 ways to avoid having your script scrapped by the reader and passed on to the people who can bring your idea to life.
"The Screenwriter Within: How to Turn the Movie in Your Head Into a Salable Screenplay," by D. B. Gilles and "How To Write A Movie in 21 Days: The Inner Movie Method," by Viki King are two other books I personally recommend. Both books deal strictly with the screenplay itself and less with the movie industry. Trust me, you will have plenty of time to deal with that hurdle once your final draft is completed.
Mr. Mark S. Gonney is a former script reader for the urbanworld film festival and an article writer for the urbanworld film festival.
Screenwriting, Screenplay, and Movie Script Resources for Writers: The online resource directory geared towards helping writers overcome the peaks and valleys of the creative process and complete their final draft!
shuttle from O'Hare Brocton .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareOriginality emerges from structure. Once you have a story idea,... Read More
FIVE MINUTES ... Is All You Need ........to phone a... Read More
Hands up all those who'd like to have a successful... Read More
The Scanning ReaderWriting for the Web is different than writing... Read More
For many years, I've been a tutor for students undertaking... Read More
[When I was a nineteen-year-old high school student and budding... Read More
EditingExpect, allow, and accept that every first draft will represent... Read More
"Do I send samples, a media kit, or just the... Read More
1. No one else will do it for you.2. No... Read More
IntroductionSometimes it may be beyond a companies or individuals budget... Read More
Being a great writer is no longer enough if you... Read More
In the current job market, many editorial workers have turned... Read More
Building a new website can be extremely exciting. Seeing your... Read More
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published... Read More
The short-short story has been likened by some as being... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?It's no use coming up with a... Read More
What is a freelance grant writer? These individuals have a... Read More
Boost Brain Power Through WritingHave you ever noticed what happens... Read More
This is the ideal topic for us all to think... Read More
Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More
SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?Many people have entertained... Read More
These are some of the snapshots I carry with me:... Read More
In most aspects of business, we will be expected to... Read More
A few months ago, I wrote a guide entitled: 101... Read More
Writing better is critical for students. But it's even more... Read More
Chicago charter limousine service Hickory Hills ..I've seen it time and again. One of the most... Read More
What a lack of research could do to you.When creating... Read More
Being a great writer is no longer enough if you... Read More
Have you ever wondered why some people can make millions... Read More
First impressions count in writing too! So it is always... Read More
Do you suffer from writer's block? Is there a pending... Read More
In the ten years that I've taught people how to... Read More
Dave, I just got a contract for a book... Read More
If you are looking for copywriter books, you'll want to... Read More
Be careful when you write.Words you use, sentences you phrase... Read More
Style manuals are all well and good, and in fact,... Read More
Some writers complain that writing is arduous work requiring long... Read More
Creating incredible characters can be easy if you know of... Read More
Your computer is a writing machine, a word processor, a... Read More
The Big IdeaOkay. So youve figured out that you would... Read More
The first and final rule of quality writing is this:... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
So you want to be a successful author? You want... Read More
Bookcoaching clients come to me at different stages of writing... Read More
Last week I was having a quick browse on eBay... Read More
Persisting With Bulldog Determination [Book excerpt from Successercising} by Rick... Read More
My bookcase take up one whole wall in the family... Read More
Have you ever started a creative writing project with great... Read More
First, let's tackle the question that is uppermost in many... Read More
The urge to write fiction seems God given for some,... Read More
Writing |