Screenwriting : Screenwriting Education by Kimberly Ruzich

No, just creativity. your either born with it or not really. (in my opinion). education may teach you how to write it, but not how to make the work come to life....that's only down to the imagination of the person writing it

if you understand what i mean

Yes I do and Thank You! :-)

No. Just study screenplays and films and write.

This is FREE help.. http://www.screenwritingu.com/mmm-tc

This book is a MUST http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Screenwriters-Bible/David-Trottier/978193...

Lots of FREE help here too http://networkisa.org/#

And another FREE resource.. http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/eng/howtoguides

Good luck!

Oh, one last item - FREE formatting software, I use this and find it is easy and great, especially since it's free! https://www.celtx.com/products.html

Reading great screenplays is a potent way to go. Get all the Oscar nominees, those scripts that sold for mega-bucks, or those by great writers (Sorkin, Beresford, Black, Haggis etc.). It can be done without a formal education in film. When a reader opens a script, it soon becomes clear if the writer is on her/his game or blowing in the wind. Seminars help as you can do them. Get some coverage from professional readers. Read Your Screenplay Sucks - one of the best overall for locating flaws. The Page competition also has a short e-book that is quite good and inexpensive. It's also fun to read a script, then watch the DVD with script in lap. Take notes on situation and dialogue you encounter in real life. Avoid the writer's insecurity flaw of believing every post/ad/solicitation out there that you cannot possibly make it without that service. A lot of money can be pissed away in that fashion without a lot of gain. Ultimately though, if you have talent and do the above, you can turn out scripts that are page turners. Once you start writing... don't stop!

I would say read scripts, good and bad, screenwriting 'how to' books from the likes of Syd Field etc etc and don't worry about a formal education. If you have the ideas, and know how to execute them, which you will learn from the aforementioned books, then that's all you need. Most of all, keep writing, as you will learn most of all from writing. It is important to understand structure also, and Celtx helps to handle that, but it won't do it all for you. A great that will help in this regard is 'The Hollywood Standard'.

As far as reading scripts, I've found most that are available do not follow spec format and are actually more confusing to someone starting out. here is a link, Kimberly, to tons of scripts, keep in mind that most are the shooting script and not the spec script though. http://www.simplyscripts.com/c.html

Thank you,everyone, for your comments. Stacey, I have already purchased several scripts, including one that is considered a "textbook" example of how a good script is written..."Breakfast at Tiffany's'". As I live in San Diego County, driving up to Hollywood and walking down the Boulevard is a kick in the pants for me...especially being able to wander into all the script stores. :-) I also have the most recent version of David Trottier's "Screenwriter's Bible", but was wondering if a formal education tended to make it easier and more natural to create your treatment, then format a script, since the whole process seems a bit daunting and disorganized for me.

Hi, Kimberly. Check out this website for formatting --> http://scripttoolbox.com/index.html

Theodore this is AMAZING! Thank you!

You're welcome!

Reading screenplays alone won't make you a good screenplay. WRITING and TALENT make you better. If you are considering going to a USC etc to study ask yourself this question "Will the $80,000 college degree make me an $80,000 better writer?" I have read most of the books out there and 90% of them teach the same stuff. I have, if you're interested, 4 essential reads: (In this order). SAVE THE CAT - Blake Snyder (Helps with understanding structure, although I don't subscribe to his regimented page and beat-sheet formula). CRAFTY SCREENWRITING - Alex Epstein (Great in-the-trenches tips on structure/genre/dialogue/action). INSIDE STORY - Dara Marks - (Amazing book for character development and arcs). YOUR SCREENPLAY SUCKS - William M. Akers (Read this after you've finished your first draft and prepare for your screenplay to suck).

Try to attend screenwriters' workshops in your area. These can offer practical exercise with tips from the pros. They're also a good way to build bridges with people in the biz. Sure beats going into debt $80 K for an MFA.

Write, workshops, write, read, watch movies, write, dream, write, develop a thick skin, write, get critiques, workshop, write, live, write, most important (imho) is to figure out who you are and what you want to say, cause weather you know it or not, you going to say it, so you might as well figure it out first.... then again, what do I know....

Gee, Todd...I seem to be getting a subliminal message from you...I can't decipher what it is, though. Guess I'll go write until I figure it out. ;-)

:)

Hey Kimberly: If you can take a good screenwriting class it sure can't hurt. However, I would do the following things: 1) Get some good screenwriting software to correctly format your scripts such as Final Draft or Move Magic. Without correct format, most readers or producers will toss your work. 2) Study elements of the three act structure. Most people in the business adhere to this religiously 3) Download some scripts you like and study them. 4) Familiarize yourself with screenwriting format and jargon. 5) Develop great 30 word or less loglines for your story. 6) Write a compelling story. 7) Write because you love doing it.

Hi Phillip! I am actually working on my first treatment..but seem to keep getting stuck. Either that or my alleged ADD is kicking in and I have trouble concentrating on freeing up my creative mind. (Is this where the alcoholic part of being a writer kicks in?) This is part of the reason I ask if a formal education would have been fortuitous for me.

Hey Kimberly: Have you outlined your story completely? I find if I map out a series of skeletal scenes, I am able to better fill in the story. I wrote a 3-page synopsis a few weeks back and I have written 30 pages of screenplay in a week. I have come up with several in between scenes as I go along. Another thing to remember is you give the characters and story narrative life. If you cannot picture the scene, then go online and try to find pictures of your location to help you better imagine your setting. Hope that helps.

I'm in the thesis phase of my mfa right now... part of my program includes two intensive (8 week). Screen writing courses. You get a feature out of the first and I take the second in November. Currently writing a short for my thesis film to be shot in July. Its painful. PAINFUL. I went off on my advisor, but that's another story.... have you tried a story outline? I would suggest that over a treatment to begin with. Think in terms of what happens and where. Brief descriptions. Like framing out a house.

Kimberly, the choice to pursue an education in screenwriting is a personal one. You can spin your wheels for years trying to break in to the business, and while a formal education can reduce the time it takes to break in, it gives you several things: focus--allowing you the ability to learn your craft in a focused environment. You can write and write and write until your hand falls off, but if you're practicing it wrong, you'll never know. A formal education gives you access to instructors who have dedicated their lives to the craft and are willing, and able, to impart that information to you. It will also allow you to write a few practice scripts under their tutelage, and discover your strengths and weaknesses. What a formal education also gives you is networking, access to people, instructors, producers, directors, and fellow students who are studying the same thing. A lot of Hollywood is not what you know or how good a writer you are, but who you know! Start building your network and you will be amazed, when you start completing scripts, who will start calling you for jobs. These probably won't be big, million dollar jobs for Warner Brothers, but local, independent producers and directors who are also trying to build their resumes. Jointly, you will get better by working together to enhance your craft. The majority of screenwriters write on assignment and specs are very difficult to sell, at least for a lot of money, unless you are very very talented, or you have an inside contact within Hollywood. All these comments are very good, but you need to follow your heart. If you are talented, your script will find its way onto the screen. If you are not, it will take an immense amount of work and rejection before you will be successful. And therein lies the rub: success is not necessarily measured by films made, but your personal satisfaction. One particular quote has kept me going and that is this: "The only writers who fail are the ones who give up." Never give up on your dream.

There's good online courses, books by Syd Field and the "Save The Cat" screenwriting book series which is great. For me, I spent 2-3 years submitting to festivals and contests, often paying extra for the extended feedback/critique. I also spent $400 on a Consulting Producer/Screenplay Consultant, which helped BIGTIME. Now, I enjoy the other side of the fence, reading, critiquing, and scoring scripts during an international screenplay contest.

yes it is necessary

I say that if you are really having trouble, please get yourself into some workshops, writers meetups if you have some in your area. You may find that your gift is really in another area all together once you immerse yourself in the process and just get out there!

Nick is right. I have met writers with screenwriting "qualifications" with some of the worst writing. IMO, it's like going to school to get a degree in singing.

Kimberly, it always helps to know the ancient principles of storytelling. I wrote a book on comedy's ancient principles: http://www.cheekymonkeycomedy.com/the-book/ There's nothing new under the sun - except each person's imagination.