Still I decided it could be a worthwhile (and cheap!) class to professionalise my writing. Here are some of my notes from the three hour seminar...
- EM Media - FUNDING! Does your idea have commercial success? Because that's what they want/look for.
- Execs are always looking for reasons to say 'no' because they have so many other scripts to go through.
- They will look for 'dirty fingernails' and 'chewing gum' like they will during interviews. So here are 13 tips to get it right - whether you are sending your script to UK or USA...
- Number the pages - USA standard is top-right hand corner - Easier to read.
- Spelling and Punctuation - Right it the way you know best; not with Americanisms as this will miss guide the reader. Frequent spell checks. Read it backwards - it uses another side of the brain, doesn't make sense in context but will show any spelling or punctuation mistakes.
- Formatting - Length should be: UK - 90-100 words, USA 110-120 words for a feature length. Think of it as almost one page per minute on screen. Font should be: UK - Curier New 12, USA - Curier 12. Send an e-mail if that's what is asked of you, but also print and post a hard copy.
- Sluglines - Every new location has to have this. Interior or exterior, place, day or night. Very brief description of where, when and what is happening. Every new character the appears has to be written in capitols, but only the first time, every other time is normal eg. JOHN (20s).
- Camera Angles and direction to actors - Don't put directory things into the script. Leave camera set ups out. Leave out character motives and emotions. Don't number the scenes.
- Songs, Poems and Quotes - Don't list specific artist, track or band names; keep it generic. Keep in mind they won't know the songs and they might be expensive to get the license. Don't quote poems; again licenses are expensive and unnecessary. It's easier to use dead people rather than people who are alive. No famous living people. UK - 75 years of an authors death. USA - 90 years of an authors death.
- Literary Description - Avoid the flowery description; being like a novel. Think about what the audience can see! Do not describe how the character feels.
- Describing Emotions and Characteristics - Examples: She fears that... he knows... he wonders... she thinks... ALL BAD. Enigmatic, moody, troubled... ALL BAD. Blue eyes, rugged handsome etc... ALL BAD! How do the characters get in trouble?
- Smells, Time, Temperature and Taste - It's novelistic and unnecessary.
- Transitions - Think of interesting alternatives to just fades such as: A dog to a cat, a tap to someone drinking water, raining then sunny, ceiling fan to helicopter propellers (Apocalypse Now), a bone to a spaceship (2001: A Space Odyssey).
- Referencing other films, Books or Actors/Characters - Just don't do it. Keep the idea unique so that it doesn't sound like anything else or is made comparable to anything else.
- Nudges, Prompts and Jokes - It's showing off! Like you know the business of films, but it has no business in the script. There is no "we" in a script eg. "we see the car coming..." should be -> "the car comes towards the screen".
- Presentation - Don't underline or make bold. Don't use coloured paper, only white with black text. Don't give it any pre-conceived notions such as writing 'First Draft' on title page. Title page contains contact details. Three wholes in paper connected with Brad clips.
Watch: City of Ember, The Wire, The Shield, Sideways, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.
Read: Smoking In Bed.
The profit margin on popcorn is huge. It's the biggest money maker in the whole cinema industry!
Music: Santana - Samba de Sausalito
Winnie The Pooh makes more money for Disney than any other one of their character franchises.
Music: Santana - Samba de Sausalito
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