So happy to meet a bunch of new folks who were in on that amazing webinar yesterday by Vijal Patel of NETFLIX and hosted by the spectacular team here at Stage 32 !!
I did have the opportunity to connect with some new writers and a number of you posted "looking for advice" in this Lounge as a way to launch and start, so I am sharing my thoughts just on the chance that it may find you and you may find it helpful.
Screenplay is not the kind of lengthy prose you would write for a novel.
One page equals one minute on screen.
The screenplay is much more spare and lean, minimal and concise than novels or even short stories in many ways.
I recommend to search and read the screenplay for "BADLANDS" by Terrence Malick, a fine example of an industry-quality script that is 75 pages and captures the cinematic expression of the form with no unnecessary bells and whistles. Then, watch the movie!
Outline your story in its most elemental and general parts, that will be helpful.
Imagine your timelines, you have page time, story time, movie time, time in the lives of different characters, keep it simple but plan it out as you are the authority and you will choose, decide and know everything about your story.
Write as if it were a silent film and add dialogue later. This is brilliant and essential advice from Hitchcock.
This is controversial but in my opinion you would do well to read "Save The Cat" and "Save The Cat Goes To The Movies," some writers find them too formulaic but many industry people still love to see the structure recommended in these books by Blake Snyder, and they are also highly informative on Genre and many other elements of the Craft. And fun to read.
If you really want to jump on a giant trampoline and vault into accelerated learning mode, I can certainly recommend subscribing to the WRITERS' ROOM here on Stage 32, as it is immersive and timely with targeted content, live webinars and limitless enthusiasm for this thing of ours. See you there!
I've attached a list of books I recommend.
Also if you like you can view my Profile page here as an example and see the basic format for a list of projects and links you can set up for your own page. Action!
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Thanks for sharing Daniel!
Thanks for sharing the screenwriting book recommends. "Your Screenplay Sucks" is one of my favorites. Snarky and educational. I find it amusing that Mr. Akers includes a section about when to consider giving up on one's screenwriting dreams. As if! "Never give up! Never surrender!" ; )
One book that's not on your list that I got a lot out of was Jill Chamberlain's "The Nutshell Technique."
Great job, Dan! But don't forget Jeffrey Alan Schechter's "My story can BEAT up your story!" and "The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell."
Terrific, thank you for the additional resources!!
DD Myles super! Thanks!!
Sabrina Miller "by Grabthar's hammer, they will be avenged !!" I will check that out for sure, thank you !!
Christopher Charles Murray cheers and hope you are enjoying a great week !!