McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Writing gigs...
Kristine:
no problem - I would be very happy if someone could get a gig out of the things I post. I was kinda hoping other people would post any for-pay writing jobs they find too but...meh, I'll be the only one if need be.
The e-mails that I get these from did make me want to learn how to write scripts too....lol.
Snowleopard:
Writing scripts is a skill you can learn.
I can give you some pointers if you want.
My teacher was D.C.Fontana.
Paynesgrey:
And once more I bow before your Awesome. And quietly stew in jealousy. And then watch Journey to Babel, because for me that episode is the essence of Star Trek.
Kristine:
--- Quote from: Snowleopard on May 02, 2012, 01:18:42 AM ---Writing scripts is a skill you can learn.
I can give you some pointers if you want.
My teacher was D.C.Fontana.
--- End quote ---
I'd be starting from scratch - any books in particular you would recommend?
Snowleopard:
We didn't have a text book in our script writing class but since then I've found or
heard of these others.
The Complete Book of Scriptwriting by Michael Strazynski - that's a good one.
Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
Creating Unforgettable characters by Linda Seger
Making a good script great by Linda Seger
A Martian Wouldn't say that - this one is just for giggles to show how incredibly silly
a major network can be.
There's a whole raft load of others out there. If you can borrow a copy from the library then you can
check them out and see which one works for you.
Basic rule of thumb - one page equals one minute of screen time. Action shots may be different but you figure on the basic rule. So a two hour script should be 120 pages more or less.
Basic difference between script and prose. You want to show it in script not say it. Talking heads (excluding Bob) rarely ever work in scripts. You can't get wordy like you do
in prose. Even scene descriptions and people descriptions must be short and sweet.
What works in prose often does not work in a script. IE: A character's speech in a book
comes across on screen as too wordy or too stilted. Learn to listen to how your characters talk
in your head. And listen to how people talk around you.
However like prose - you need a good story and characters people can identify with.
DO NOT USE SPECIAL EFFECTS UNLESS YOU NEED THEM. THEY CANNOT MAKE A SO SO MOVIE GREAT!
DO NOT CREATE ALL SORTS OF FANCY VISUAL SHOTS - THAT'S FOR THE DIRECTOR AND THE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY TO DO.
Try to get ahold of actual scripts to see how they're laid out and how scenes are written.
I believe that Josh Whedon has a book on some of the Buffy scripts which will show you what the original writing was like and what it looks like on the air.
Luckily you no longer need to number your scenes as you once had to - makes life a whole lot easier.
You need a good script writing software if you intend to do this a lot - it's a heck of a lot easier than just setting up tabs and the like on your computer. I understand Final Draft is one of the better, industry wide
ones.
As I can think up more I'll add to this or if you've got a question PM me. If I don't know it, I know who I can ask.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version