Friday, March 18, 2005
Beat the Reader Part I
This piece first appeared in the March issue of the Liaison of Independant Filmmakers(LIFT) Newsletter. Visit their site for more information.
If you happened to tune into CIUT FM back in 2003, you may have caught me pontificating on the realm of words and images. I was fortunate enough to take part in LIFT’s short lived radio show, CinePHILE. At the time I was planning a semi-regular segment focusing on the trials and tribulations of the aspiring screenwriter. With virtually no outlet for my thoughts on writing and storytelling and in desperate need of volunteer hours, I’ve decided to write what I know and turn that defunct radio segment into a semi-regular column.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about gatekeepers and allies. Life is full of them and the screenwriter knows this instinctively. He dreams up characters who thwart his protagonist’s dreams and desires or who will aid his hero in his quest. When he finally hits print he comes face to face with these characters’ real life counterparts. He is the hero of his own narrative entitled DEVELOPMENT. Here he encounters assistants, agents, development execs, producers, directors, actors and literally hundreds of “characters” who could negate or facilitate his existence. However, there's a hidden gatekeeper you might not even be aware of and I just happen to be one. I'm the dreaded freelance reader. You see if I'm reading your script it means that you have no reputation yet. Your script is from the slush pile. I will know you are an amateur in the first five pages and chances are I'm going to pass on your script. When you make amateur mistakes you prejudice my perception of your work. You can quickly tell the difference between a pro and an amateur. When I perceive quality I am immersed in the story's world. The techniques and mechanics become invisible. An amateur script has the opposite effect. The lack of subtly is glaringly obvious. Help me suspend my disbelief by handing over a script that looks like it was written by a pro.
I want to see your writing improve. So I am going give you a glimpse into my thought process when I read your script. I read every script cold, I judge the material solely on its own merits, I don't Google you or look at your CV (if one was attached) until after I've read the script. I've read hundreds of scripts at this point and I can name only a handful that got a "consider" (potential diamond in the rough) and fewer still that got the Holy Grail of a "recommend” (i.e. drop Anne of Green Gables 5 and make this movie immediately).
I would say that most of the scripts I've passed on were rushed and the writer didn't fully commit to the work. I think screenwriting is as hard if not harder than any other genre of writing. You have to do so much with so little and every word counts. Respect the craft. Sure you can bang out 25,000 words over a weekend, but do they really say anything. You do yourself no favours by sending out a script that isn’t fully developed. It will only be read once. Nailing that first read is the first step to making your film. I am not advocating that you contemplate your navel for five years but you probably have a day job that's paying the rent so what’s another couple of weeks?
There are some simple steps you can take to improve the quality of your writing. Read screenplays by the writers you admire. Find as many as you can get your hands on. There are thousands on the net and some really nice published versions (I highly recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it has a great Q&A section) Play the film and read the script at the same time. It's kind of tough but you'll get the hang of it. See how the pros do it and emulate them. Find yourself competent readers. Not your girlfriend with an MA in English Lit or your best friend who teaches at that Montessori schools. An unskilled reader can put you back years. Writers are everywhere so find them. Someone writing in a similar genre is ideal. They will understand its conventions. Take courses if you can afford it. Go to LIFT OUT LOUD and schmooze at the intermission. Find or start a writers’ group. Hook up with people who live, breath eat and sleep storytelling. Give them your script and find something else to do for a few weeks. Take your ego out of the picture when you finally get their notes. Listen to what they have to tell you. The right readers will ask the hard question, "why?" When you can answer this question unequivocally you are on your way. If you commit to what is best for the writing, I believe the universe will conspire to make your script happen.
Now that you've spent those extra weeks reading scripts, finding good readers and getting constructive and inspiring feedback you're ready to shop your script around, right? Wrong. Presentation is everything and remember that your script will only be read once. Before you print off that final draft find a fascist grammarian and/or a spelling bee champion and have them proof the script to within an inch of its life. This is common sense but every second or third script I get has typos and/or grammatical errors.
While presentation is everything, screenwriting is minimalism at its finest. This aesthetic must be continuous from cover page to FADE OUT. There are very specific rules about script format and style and your script is no exception. Format errors will instantly tip me off. If you're using a screenwriting program like Movie Magic or Final Draft most of this is done for you. If you are using Word or some other word processor be sure to use 12 point Courier font and I highly recommend you find a script format template. It will make your writing life a lot easier. There are a few good shareware versions out there and some great web sites that deal with format. Reading countless screenplays will also provide answers to a lot of format questions. This sounds pretty obvious but you'd be surprised at how many scripts I've received in Helvetica or Times New Roman. Print it off on 3 holed WHITE paper and fasten it with at least two brads (brass thingies that hold the script together). Card stock covers are acceptable. The title pages should be simple and to the point just a title, name and contact info. Do not take it to Kinkos to have it bound. Do not under, any circumstance, provide an illustrated cover page or the Photoshopped movie poster you made. What is clever to you is unprofessional to me.
While individual styles can be open to interpretation, detailed and elaborate technical directions such as camera moves or editing cues are virtually verboten unless the story cannot be told otherwise. Your job is to use words to create images. When I read "The camera PUSHES out of the window and CRANES up to a SWISH PAN of the country side..." too often I know you are a newbie. Do not tell the director or editor how to do his or her job. Your scene descriptions should be simple and visual. If you've done it right the reader will take himself through a shot list of the images you are conveying.
I know, you are looking for some more concrete tips to improve your writing or you wouldn't still be reading. Well, I'm going to deliver, but probably not today. Discussions of the mechanics, techniques and craft of screenwriting are infinite. There is cottage industry of book, magazine and internet publishers dedicated to it. My name is not Robert McKee, William Goldman or Lajos Egri, but I'm constantly reading them and others. I don’t have all of the answers but I’m looking for them and I promise to share them with you. In part two I will get into the more esoteric elements of screenwriting, like tone, voice, California conversation-style dialogue and character v. characterization, that can hamper the quality of your writing and turn a reader off.
As I said near the beginning, there are gatekeepers and allies. I want to like your script. If I give it favourable coverage and the producer I'm reading for agrees and options your script well guess what? I might get us both a gig. Our relationship should not be adversarial. I am a gatekeeper and an ally. It is in our mutual interests to like each other. When I get a properly formatted script that is free of spelling and grammatical errors I take it seriously. A few pages into your script I will know if you have invested the necessary amount of time developing your story and I will immerse myself in your world. You've fooled me. I think you are a pro, now tell a story like one.
If you happened to tune into CIUT FM back in 2003, you may have caught me pontificating on the realm of words and images. I was fortunate enough to take part in LIFT’s short lived radio show, CinePHILE. At the time I was planning a semi-regular segment focusing on the trials and tribulations of the aspiring screenwriter. With virtually no outlet for my thoughts on writing and storytelling and in desperate need of volunteer hours, I’ve decided to write what I know and turn that defunct radio segment into a semi-regular column.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about gatekeepers and allies. Life is full of them and the screenwriter knows this instinctively. He dreams up characters who thwart his protagonist’s dreams and desires or who will aid his hero in his quest. When he finally hits print he comes face to face with these characters’ real life counterparts. He is the hero of his own narrative entitled DEVELOPMENT. Here he encounters assistants, agents, development execs, producers, directors, actors and literally hundreds of “characters” who could negate or facilitate his existence. However, there's a hidden gatekeeper you might not even be aware of and I just happen to be one. I'm the dreaded freelance reader. You see if I'm reading your script it means that you have no reputation yet. Your script is from the slush pile. I will know you are an amateur in the first five pages and chances are I'm going to pass on your script. When you make amateur mistakes you prejudice my perception of your work. You can quickly tell the difference between a pro and an amateur. When I perceive quality I am immersed in the story's world. The techniques and mechanics become invisible. An amateur script has the opposite effect. The lack of subtly is glaringly obvious. Help me suspend my disbelief by handing over a script that looks like it was written by a pro.
I want to see your writing improve. So I am going give you a glimpse into my thought process when I read your script. I read every script cold, I judge the material solely on its own merits, I don't Google you or look at your CV (if one was attached) until after I've read the script. I've read hundreds of scripts at this point and I can name only a handful that got a "consider" (potential diamond in the rough) and fewer still that got the Holy Grail of a "recommend” (i.e. drop Anne of Green Gables 5 and make this movie immediately).
I would say that most of the scripts I've passed on were rushed and the writer didn't fully commit to the work. I think screenwriting is as hard if not harder than any other genre of writing. You have to do so much with so little and every word counts. Respect the craft. Sure you can bang out 25,000 words over a weekend, but do they really say anything. You do yourself no favours by sending out a script that isn’t fully developed. It will only be read once. Nailing that first read is the first step to making your film. I am not advocating that you contemplate your navel for five years but you probably have a day job that's paying the rent so what’s another couple of weeks?
There are some simple steps you can take to improve the quality of your writing. Read screenplays by the writers you admire. Find as many as you can get your hands on. There are thousands on the net and some really nice published versions (I highly recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it has a great Q&A section) Play the film and read the script at the same time. It's kind of tough but you'll get the hang of it. See how the pros do it and emulate them. Find yourself competent readers. Not your girlfriend with an MA in English Lit or your best friend who teaches at that Montessori schools. An unskilled reader can put you back years. Writers are everywhere so find them. Someone writing in a similar genre is ideal. They will understand its conventions. Take courses if you can afford it. Go to LIFT OUT LOUD and schmooze at the intermission. Find or start a writers’ group. Hook up with people who live, breath eat and sleep storytelling. Give them your script and find something else to do for a few weeks. Take your ego out of the picture when you finally get their notes. Listen to what they have to tell you. The right readers will ask the hard question, "why?" When you can answer this question unequivocally you are on your way. If you commit to what is best for the writing, I believe the universe will conspire to make your script happen.
Now that you've spent those extra weeks reading scripts, finding good readers and getting constructive and inspiring feedback you're ready to shop your script around, right? Wrong. Presentation is everything and remember that your script will only be read once. Before you print off that final draft find a fascist grammarian and/or a spelling bee champion and have them proof the script to within an inch of its life. This is common sense but every second or third script I get has typos and/or grammatical errors.
While presentation is everything, screenwriting is minimalism at its finest. This aesthetic must be continuous from cover page to FADE OUT. There are very specific rules about script format and style and your script is no exception. Format errors will instantly tip me off. If you're using a screenwriting program like Movie Magic or Final Draft most of this is done for you. If you are using Word or some other word processor be sure to use 12 point Courier font and I highly recommend you find a script format template. It will make your writing life a lot easier. There are a few good shareware versions out there and some great web sites that deal with format. Reading countless screenplays will also provide answers to a lot of format questions. This sounds pretty obvious but you'd be surprised at how many scripts I've received in Helvetica or Times New Roman. Print it off on 3 holed WHITE paper and fasten it with at least two brads (brass thingies that hold the script together). Card stock covers are acceptable. The title pages should be simple and to the point just a title, name and contact info. Do not take it to Kinkos to have it bound. Do not under, any circumstance, provide an illustrated cover page or the Photoshopped movie poster you made. What is clever to you is unprofessional to me.
While individual styles can be open to interpretation, detailed and elaborate technical directions such as camera moves or editing cues are virtually verboten unless the story cannot be told otherwise. Your job is to use words to create images. When I read "The camera PUSHES out of the window and CRANES up to a SWISH PAN of the country side..." too often I know you are a newbie. Do not tell the director or editor how to do his or her job. Your scene descriptions should be simple and visual. If you've done it right the reader will take himself through a shot list of the images you are conveying.
I know, you are looking for some more concrete tips to improve your writing or you wouldn't still be reading. Well, I'm going to deliver, but probably not today. Discussions of the mechanics, techniques and craft of screenwriting are infinite. There is cottage industry of book, magazine and internet publishers dedicated to it. My name is not Robert McKee, William Goldman or Lajos Egri, but I'm constantly reading them and others. I don’t have all of the answers but I’m looking for them and I promise to share them with you. In part two I will get into the more esoteric elements of screenwriting, like tone, voice, California conversation-style dialogue and character v. characterization, that can hamper the quality of your writing and turn a reader off.
As I said near the beginning, there are gatekeepers and allies. I want to like your script. If I give it favourable coverage and the producer I'm reading for agrees and options your script well guess what? I might get us both a gig. Our relationship should not be adversarial. I am a gatekeeper and an ally. It is in our mutual interests to like each other. When I get a properly formatted script that is free of spelling and grammatical errors I take it seriously. A few pages into your script I will know if you have invested the necessary amount of time developing your story and I will immerse myself in your world. You've fooled me. I think you are a pro, now tell a story like one.
// posted by SuperFanBoy#1 @ 2:28 PM 
