Showing posts with label Screenwriting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Screenwriting. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Screenwriting - Creating Characters

Creating characters is a fun, rewarding part of how to write a screenplay. You might have a character already in mind, you might not. Here's how to create memorable characters:

Characters in a screenplay are no different to people in real life. They have flaws. They have insecurities. They have a past that drives every action they make. If you have a major in Psychology this bit will tickle your fancy. The trick to creating three dimensional characters is to develop them fully. So you know everything about them.

Let's start with their name. Yes, even this requires thought. Try to pick a name which enhances their characteristics. If they are meant to fit in with the crowd, give them a really common name.

Screenwriting - Creating Characters

Spend time developing your characters, if you don't they will come across as two dimensional stereotypes. That's one way to kill interest in your screenplay. Most of what you develop wont be used in the final screenplay but its needed in the pre-writing stage because they build your character. They give them the motivation. It makes them who they are. The more you develop, the more you know about your characters. The more fulfilling you finished screenplay will be.

Two things that are incredibly helpful in screenwriting is to developing your characters are biography and back story.

Take some time to write a complete biography of your character. Write down everything you know about your character. Everything you want them to be.

Keep pushing yourself to make them unique. How do they walk? Tall, confident or hunched with their head down? How do they eat their cereal? How do they like to relax?

These may seem silly questions to ask but the answer to questions like these reveal so much about your characters. Instead of telling the audience what they are like show an image of them doing something, the way they would do it. A picture tells a thousand words.

Its helpful to run your character through an average day. Gandhi once said, "My life is my message". Whatever you do with your life if the message your projecting. Apply that to your characters.

Back story is essential to screenwriting. This is the reason why they are the way they are. You don't need to write everything that's happened in their life up until the screenplay starts. You only need to know relevant information which can be used throughout the story. For example do they have trust issues because six months ago their partner was unfaithful? That kind of thing is relevant. Write what happened as if you were there and your character will start to grow.

This is mainly for you main character (protagonist) but try to do the same for all your characters. From the bad guy (antagonist) to the love interest. From the minor character who appears in a few scenes to an extra who has a pivotal part. Okay I don't expect you to know as much for the minor characters but have a understanding of who they are and where they have come from. Make sure they don't slip into stereotypes.

Creating a character isn't a quick process. It can be if you want a two dimensional character or stereotype. Give it some time and it will pay dividends in the end. Give them a history. Make the audience relate to them. If the audience doesn't relate, they are not going to root for the protagonist. If they don't, they don't care for what happens. They don't care for your story.

Screenwriting - Creating Characters
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Warren Roberts

[http://www.screenwriting-for-hollywood.com]

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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Screenwriting Software

The new wave created by screenwriting software has made the work of a script writer for the movies, audio-visuals, documentaries, theater, television or video games considerably easier. Screenwriters are required to follow some pre-defined conventions while going about their tasks. Helping the user with formatting, revisions and final presenting, the software is considered a boon by writers of screenplays. The lineage of scriptwriting software began with SmartKey that dominated the scene between 1982 and 1987. Today there is a vast array of software that one can pick and choose from, the selection depending upon individual requirement.

Basically the screenwriting software packages fall under three broad categories:

1. Shareware or freeware

Screenwriting Software

2. Commercial software that has to be purchased

3. Web based

Different screenwriting software packages carry out innumerable functions in varying permutation-combination. The creative writing is now no longer restricted to a person's efforts alone. It has largely shifted into a computer domain that needs little human intervention. The digital approach to pre-production systems takes care of a plethora of tasks involved. Another advantage offered by some screenwriting software is that collaborative work becomes simpler. Doing away with multiple project files, the members of the team may share information and work on a single file thus eliminating possibility of any confusion.

The various steps in story writing are all taken care of by screenwriting software such as writing the script, the scene description, sequences, character development, setting up tags, scheduling, budgeting and preparation of circulars and reports for the staff and the cast. This makes management of workflow more efficient and has become the much preferred method of working by studio professionals, film-makers and students learning the craft of writing scripts.

The fluidity of the writer's thoughts need never be interrupted, rather enhanced by making it possible to work even when on the move. The dedicated screenwriting programs are not glorified word processors meant only to format what is typewritten, but a whole lot more, working by your side all the time. Some of the software packages have ready-made templates that the writer can adapt to his script. These are comparatively cheaper than others in the market.

Some of the best known screenwriting software programs are Adobe Story, Plotbot, Celtx, BPC Screenplay, DreamaScript, Movie Outline, Plot Builder and a host of other equally resourceful packages. Currently the two most widely used software packages used in Hollywood are Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter. The trend has been set and the future of screenplay writing lies in these specialized programs.

Screenwriting Software
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To find a screenwriter for your script, visit our screenwriting services website by clicking the word "screenwriters" below:

SCREENWRITERS.

You will be able to instant message, call, and email screenwriters for hire.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Screenwriting - Some Great Ways To Begin A Screenplay Part 2

A powerful opening is essential for success in screenwriting. If you look back on all the the classic movies, as well as your own favorites, you'll probably realize that everyone of them had a great beginning, something that pulled you in right away and kept you watching.

The first article on how to start writing your script covered beginning with an action sequence, a day in the life of your main character and a "real beginning," such as the protagonist arriving at a new destination, starting a new aspect of their life or a new person coming into his or her life.

Here are some more great ways to open your screenplay:

Screenwriting - Some Great Ways To Begin A Screenplay Part 2

MONTAGE - a montage is a series of brief scenes, usually without dialogue, that can indicate the passage of time or the state of affairs of something. For example, if the story is about a down and out baseball team, you could show a batter striking out, an outfielder dropping the ball, fans booing, a newspaper headline about the slump, and so on.

NARRATION - You might begin your screenplay with the protagonist or another character doing a voice over (V.O.) about the situation, how the main character arrived at this point in their life, etc. In the delightful "A Christmas Story," about a 10-year-old boy named Ralphie who obsesses about getting a BB gun for Christmas, the adult version of the main character is the narrator, speaking in the past tense.

The narrator could also be simply a narrator, not a character in the screenplay. The narrator opening should be used sparingly, but it can work very well for some movies.

FORESHADOW - In some movies the opening scene is used to lay the groundwork for what is about to come. In "The Fellowship of the Ring," the first installment in the "Lord of the Rings," we learn about the creation of the Ring of Power and how it was used to control then subdue the great kings of the time, turning them into specters, forced to do the bidding of the dark lord. When humans recapture the ring but then lose it, memory of the ring and its evil powers is lost for thousands of years. Until it reappears in the hands of an unlikely hero, a hobbit.

Add these openings to your screenwriting bag of tricks, and you're well on your way to writing successful screenplays.

Screenwriting - Some Great Ways To Begin A Screenplay Part 2
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Danek S. Kaus is a produced screenwriter with two more films in development, one of them based on a book. Several of his original screenplays have been optioned by movie companies. He can adapt your book into a screenplay and also do a Professional Screenplay Analysis

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

How to Write a Movie Script - Screenwriting Tips to Get You Started

So you want to be a screenwriter, but where do you start? What tools and resources are necessary to learn to be a screenwriter? Do I have to spend a lot of money to get started? These are all common questions, which I will answer in this article.

Easy tips on how to write a movie script:

1) Read as many screenplays as you can. Learn the format and language of how screenplays are constructed. For instance, screenplays are always written in the present tense and often use minimal description to set scenes and create atmosphere. The rule of thumb is: never write more detail than you need.

How to Write a Movie Script - Screenwriting Tips to Get You Started

2) Use computer software to format your scripts. To succeed in Hollywood, you have to use proper screenplay formatting. People who work in the industry are used to screenplays following an accepted format and layout. If yours does not, you are out of the ball game before it has even started. If you've got the money to spend (0-200), I suggest Movie Magic Screenwriter as the software of choice. In my opinion, it FAR SURPASSES the competition. If your budget is tight, there are also many low-cost software options available (under 0), as well as free templates that plug into MS Word.

3) Learn to outline your stories. You can do this on a computer, or you can use the "traditional" method of breaking down your screen story through the use of index (3x5) cards. Either method will allow you to move your scenes about and find the proper flow of your story. During this process, you may discover "miracles" that will take your story to the next level... or you may find out that that "precious" scene you've been thinking about is not even needed!

4) Purchase some screenwriting books to help you learn the process of storytelling and how to structure your story. William Goldman, screenwriter extraordinaire, is famous for saying that screenplays are, "Structure, structure, structure." Movies don't have time to meander like novels. They need to be tightly constructed, with no flab. There are some great books on the market. Hit your local bookstore to familiarize yourself with a few. One of my favorites on how to write a commercial screenplay is Blake Snyder's SAVE THE CAT!

How to Write a Movie Script - Screenwriting Tips to Get You Started
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For more killer FREE tips on scriptwriting, go to Screenwriting Tips. Sign up to receive FREE SCREENPLAYS that you can use to learn how to Write a Movie Script and become a successful screenwriter.

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Monday, November 5, 2012

Screenwriting Tips: What You Really Need to Know

Screenwriting tips. Whether you are a veteran screenwriter or new to the game, you've likely encountered them somewhere online. Turn down any dark Internet alley, and you'll find a gaunt, empty-eyed writer, reading through tip after tip, screenwriting article and screenwriting article, searching for some sort of antidote or secret. Their five-o'clock shadow crawls down their neck.

Slowly, they urinate themselves. A sneaky bum steals their wallet-- perhaps their urine. But the oblivious screenwriter, wrapped up in the cheap, quiet warmth of the LCD, keeps searching for the elusive, script-saving tip.

We've all done it. Stuck on a pesky screenplay, or unable to break a story, we open Google and search: screenwriting tips. And in (.30 seconds) we get (about 111,000 results). Already, we feel the high. The answer is somewhere in that haystack. If we can just... find... that... tip... Maybe we'll finally be able to write snappy dialogue. Or maybe we'll figure out why our protagonist shouldn't be a mute eighty year old man that dresses in drag. Or maybe we just need to be reminded one last time to "Show, don't tell." Maybe. But probably not.

Screenwriting Tips: What You Really Need to Know

The truth is, there's only one screenwriting tip that matters. Write. Turn off your wireless connection and make some stuff up.

Impress yourself. Make yourself laugh. Scare yourself. Pee yourself. Poop in the mailbox. Write a murder. Or a robbery. Really, anything will do. As long as you're writing.

Because writing leads to more writing. Even if you're not working on that one particular script, or that one particular scene, don't stop. Chances are, you'll work through your problem on the page. And really, that's the only sure way to get better.

Keep writing, and your work will improve. Keep reading screenwriting tips, and who knows what'll happen. You could die. Probably not. But you'll definitely waste a chunk of time that would have been better spent writing. When all is said is done, writers write, and good writers don't let their flawed drafts stop that process.

But the sheer volume of screenwriting tips online suggests that there's some merit in these nuggets of supposed wisdom. And yes, some of them are helpful. But assuming you've read the screenwriting books, and begun your study of the craft, the tips won't tell you anything you don't already know. For the most part, they're a regurgitation of the same maxims that have been passed around the screenwriting community for many, many years, and you don't need 'em.

You don't need someone to tell you that there shouldn't be typos in your script. You don't need to be reminded that screenplays need conflict. Or structure. Or that jokes need to be funny. Or that your audience needs to be entertained. Or that you shouldn't name all your male characters with girl names. Or that vampire movies are stupid (fine, not yours). Or that your protagonist has to be active. Or that your hero can't be in a coma until page sixty.

All you really have to do is write. Entertain yourself. At its core, that's what writing is all about. That's why it's awesome. Your primary mission is to write what satisfies you, or makes you happy. Let's face it - all screenwriters are egomaniacs. So stop wasting your time with screenwriting tips and start making yourself happy. Isn't that the point?

Screenwriting Tips: What You Really Need to Know
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Check out this site for more screenwriting articles and great script analysis by industry professionals and experienced screenwriters.

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Thursday, September 6, 2012

How to Get Screenwriting Jobs Online

Finding screenwriting jobs online could be just what you need to start building up a personal profile and getting your name out there. Quite a few specialist film websites have jobs sections that are always looking for up coming screenwriters, it's just finding these websites and knowing the techniques to get the job that's the hard part. During this article I'll be teaching you techniques that I have used in the past to get screenwriting jobs before I had an agent.

Build Your Own Website

Building your own website can be a great way to get screenwriting work through the internet. There are plenty of free programs that could give you a professional looking website, like WordPress. If you upload your CV with a short bio about yourself and have contact details you might get some work from people looking for scripts or looking for advice on how to improve their scripts. It could also be worth signing up to social networking websites and joining film making groups with a link to your website explaining what you do. You never know who could be looking.

How to Get Screenwriting Jobs Online

Sign Up To Film Making Forums

Lot's of people that are making short or feature films will look on forums to get people to write for them. As they wouldn't be going through an agent you might not get paid a lot but it would be a start. Forums are also good for networking and letting people in the film industry know who you are.

Take A Screenwriting Course

Very often it is a lot easier to get work in the first place if you have some type of qualification. If you are a beginner with no experience then you can't expect people to pay for your services unless you have something on your CV that shows that you are still qualified for the job. Screenwriting courses are also another great place to meet like minded people and make contacts. You can take very good quality courses online that will prepare you for the industry and tell you how to market yourself and your scripts.

These are just a few techniques you could use to get screenwriting jobs online. Unless you have an agent you will find it very hard to get well paid work. My advice would be to take a screenwriting course, build up your CV by doing low paid work and then send off your best scripts to an agency for representation.

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Having Trouble Getting Screenwriting Jobs Online?
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