Screenwriting : Ask Me Anything (AMA) Wednesday 10/23 to Thursday 10/24- Concisely Crafting Your Story with Synopses & Beat Sheets by Krista Sipp

Hi Krista, what genre you look for?

Hi, Krista Sipp. It's great to meet you! Abbott Elementary is hilarious. I'm looking forward to the crossover with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia!

Thanks for having this AMA! I've heard that writers should spoil the ending in film synopses, and I always do. Do you think writers should?

HI Krista Sipp - thanks so much for having this AMA and spending your time with us. Being a graphic novel writer and all-around comic-geek, I love the name of your company. QUESTION: #1 How do you feel about genre-blending in stories? #2 How detailed do you expect a beat sheet to be when a writer is in the early stages of developing a story, and what are the key elements you focus on when reviewing one?

Thanks in advance!

Krista Sipp Hi Krista. I've seen your webinars over the years through RoadMap Writers, Screencraft, etc. It's always a pleasure to speak to you. I just found a manager in April and would like to now the best ways of managing my manager.

Hi Krista Sipp

Thanks for the post…!!

1. Synopses for Complex World-building:

I’m working on sci-fi/action projects with extensive world-building and ensemble casts. How do you suggest creating concise synopses that still capture the complexity of the world, characters, and overarching conflict without overwhelming the reader?

2. Balancing Religious Themes and Genre:

One of my current projects merges sci-fi/action with religious themes. How do I effectively convey this balance in a beat sheet or synopsis without alienating readers who may not be familiar with or interested in the religious aspects?

I'd probably save a lot of time and rewrites if I went with an outline first. But for some reason I'd find it limiting creatively. Of the 7 completed scripts I've written over the past 3.5 years, I'd outline it mentally, start writing then see what happens.

Hey Krista Sipp my pleasure to meet you and congratulations for the acquisition of your company. I come from the business world and also my company had the same process. I understand very well that journey :)) Thank you for doing this AMA and I am a “Fallout” fan :) I wrote my first feature screenplay and I want to ask you this: Usually in the synopsis we spoil the ending, but in a Pitch Deck, do you think we must do the same? I have two pitch versions, one with the ending and another without. What version should I use in a pitch as we do here at Stage 32? Thank you.

Hey, Krista Sipp ! So grateful to you for doing this AMA - LOVE learning from you and talking story with you!

Okay, I know you know that we’ve been talking about treatments, synopses, and beat sheets in the Stage 32 Writer’s Room - we even review them and give feedback as part of our weekly Coverage Report event! BUT what would YOU say is the definitive difference between a: summary, synopsis, treatment, outline, and beatsheet? In what context do you most often use each other them?

Oh, and just for fun - how would you approach a synopsis/ treatment/ beatsheet meant for more than one medium (Transmedia), like a web comic / web series, for example?

Oh DT...you scoundrel.

Thank you for sharing your time with us today, Krista Sipp! How detailed/ long do you feel that the synopses for a project should be? Is there a general 2-page rule for instance that most writers should be mindful of?

Billy Kwack I'm open to all genres (but unfortunately not open to queries at the moment if that's why you're asking)

@Maurice - yes, you're correct! Definitely spoil the ending - whoever is reading should walk away knowing exactly what the project is.

And thanks for your kind words on Abbott - I"m excited too!

You're welcome, Krista Sipp. Thanks for the answer!

@Leonardo Love genre blending if the execution is there! You have to know both genres well so you can break the rules and conventions in fun and expected ways (that still work for the characters and their arcs)

Depends on who the beat sheet is for. If you're just beating out the story for your eyes only, make it as detailed or as undetailed as you want. As long as you're able to track arcs, plot, etc in a way that lets you see what works/what doesn't work.

If it's for someone else (a producer, studio exec, your writers room, etc), you should include enough detail that folks don't get lost between beats, that you're tracking character development and emotion alongside plot points, and so on. Obviously not so detailed that it might as well be a script. Think for each beat, a sentence or two about the action and a sentence or two about the characters.

@Fahad

1. maybe devote a section or a paragraph to the world itself before jumping into the story. Analogies and comps are your friends here. Anything to help the read base what they're reading in their own understanding of our world. Think "In a galaxy far, far away..."

2. If the person isn't interested in the religious aspects then it's probably not the project for them. You don't want to have to hide a major component of your project just to keep someone's interest. Say they have you write it and then are surprised by the religious element - not a good situation for either of you!

You can convey the religious elements as traditional world building (like in the question above). Provide some background and make sure your excitement for the subject matter comes through!

@Anthony - congrats! Don't love the wording of this question - if you have to manage the manager who is managing your career, what do you need a manager for?

I'd say treat it as any relationship or partnership. You two are co-parenting the baby that is your career, think communication, respect, alignment on process... Don't be afraid to ask them questions. If they use a piece of terminology you don't understand, don't just pretend that you get it, ask them to explain or unpack that for you. Keep them in the loop on what you're working on. You're in it together with the same goals!

@Michael - that's fine! Don't force a step that hurts you creatively. The goal is a well thought out and executed script so whatever gets you there works!

However, when you sell a pitch to a studio, they will expect (and pay) for an outline step, so it is a skill you should learn at some point if that is your goal. Worst case you can reverse engineer your script into an outline and turn that in, but that to me feels like a lot of (unpaid) work upfront.

@Sandra - thanks for your kind words!

Def spoil the ending! You don't want anyone to walk away with questions or not quite get what the story is. Confusion is an easy pass for execs!

Hi Krista, yes

Makes perfect sense Krista Sipp - thank you!

@Kay <3

Honestly folks often use these terms interchangeably so it's ok to ask for clarification from whoever you're writing for as to what's expected and the level of detail needed. That said, here is MY understanding of each term:

Summary/Synopsis - think the back of a book cover, like a paragraph about the story and the character we follow.

Treatment - sometime we call these 2 or 3-pagers, to give you an idea of length. Imagine you were writing your script as a short story.

Outline - basically the scenes of your script, minus the dialogue or small actions. Paraphrase what is said, tell us how it affects characters or moves the plot forward. For example:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Little Suzy comes home from school, and attempts to grab a freshly baked cookie from the counter. Mom smacks her hand away and tells her they're for the bake sale tomorrow. Suzy cries and runs into the other room, and Mom immediately feels sorry.

Beat sheet - similar to Outline, but you can combine scenes into one beat if they feel like they're part of the same plot or emotional beat. Notecard people, this is your time to shine!

As for writing for other mediums, think of who the beat sheet is for...

For comics, you want to really communicate to the artist what you envision for a panel. Is there a certain expression a character should have? Is there a color to highlight? Is there someone hiding in a corner that will be revealed in the next scene?

For podcasts, what sound effects will be needed?

And so on...

the past two years was a huge downswing for everyone in show business, in front & behind camera. Can you tell us from inside agencies what reps advised their talent, and how do you as a company prioritize talent, from established writers to new signed writers looking for work?

Ashley Renee Smith Depending on who/what it's for, they can range from like a paragraph (think the back of a book + the ending) to a couple of pages (your script as a short story or article). Always fine to go back to the person who's asking for it what they expect!

Walker: Independence...I really loved that show. Great acting and directing.

Dan MaxXx I actually work at a management company, not an agency so I can only answer from that perspective. To put it succinctly we're telling all of our clients to CREATE. The competition for staffing positions or open writing assignments is MASSIVE as so many people are out of work, you really need to be creating your own lane for yourself by writing something that is dynamic and unique. This will either open a path for development for you with a production company or studio, therefore creating your own job. Or land in the hands of someone who loves it enough to prioritize you above the 100s of submissions they receive for a handful of writing jobs. The goal is to create something that will cut through the dense reading piles executives have.

Not sure what you mean about prioritizing talent? Do you mean some clients get more attention than others? We don't sign anyone if we don't feel like we can commit the amount of time and attention needed to develop their career.

@DT all the time! I often think about the dense reading piles the producers and execs have that work with. I love to send them material that I know will grab their attention or shake them up or will just generally be fun for them. The key is that it has to be well executed, has to show a clear voice for my client, and demonstrate some quality that they could potentially bring to that more commercial gig. It can't just be a stunt script for the sake of it.

Hi Krista Sipp what’s the best way for an African story told by a South African based writer to land up on an international desk. Are there any production companies looking for African content that you know of?

Hi Krista I wrote a screenplay about paranoid schizophrenia which I suffer from myself. It’s a comedy about the different stereotypes of the illness. The illness isn’t always serious but my question is. Do you think the world is ready for a real representation of paranoid schizophrenia?

Thanks Krista Sipp. Go to follow your advice :))

Yanga Ntshakaza I'm so sorry I have zero expertise in this regard! My best advice would be to look up African/South African filmmakers that you admire and find out who represents them. If a sale is made that lands in the trades they often mention the production companies and representatives involved in the dealmaking.

Anyone else here have advice for this? So sorry I can't be more helpful here.

@Matthew I think the world is ready for any part of the human experience if the execution is there in the storytelling. I suggest watching other projects that have similar themes and characters similar to your own and see how they balance the "issue" of it all with the humor, plot and character development. I like that you chose comedy as your genre because people tend to be receptive to new things if they're entertaining!

I would not watch a movie about my life and I definitely wouldn't pay to watch it. I also know nobody else would watch it, because I'm not interesting. You have to ask yourself if anyone would watch a movie about your life.

Remember: "Write what you know" doesn't mean "Write about yourself". It means "Do your research".