The advice and rantings of a Hollywood script reader tired of seeing screenwriters make the same mistakes, saving the world from bad writing one screenplay at a time. Learn what it takes to get your script past one of these mythical Gatekeepers.
Michael F-ing Bay
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday Talkback: Have you met your goals for 2010?
It's almost July, so today's Talkback is a simple question: Have you accomplished as many of your 2010 screenwriting goals as you expected to by the midpoint of the year?
Yep. I wrote a short screenplay and decided I want to turn it into a film and direct/produce it myself. So far I've got a successful fundraiser, got a DOP to shoot the film, 2 professional actors, and a small crew.
I stayed on track because I really want to be a filmmaker so fucking bad and I was tired of having my scripts getting a pass.
If you want something, you gotta realize that no one else is gonna give it to you. My goal was to get a script turned into a film. I realized that I CAN have my script turned into a film-- on my own. Only you can make it happen yourself. Go for your dream(s).
I've finished one of my three planned feature scripts for the year. I have been slacking a bit because we bought a home this year, but I think I can knock out number 2 by the end of August and the third before Christmas as a gift to myself.
Not even close; lack of time. But I know this won't be the case forever. I have a two-year-old and a nine-month-old at home and am sole breadwinner right now... so writing for my own development has to take a back seat to necessity.
One of my goals was met. I just got to know I was granted a development fund to turn my treatment into a full script. Hopefully the other goal of having a production company actually read the treatment will be met in a few weeks.
Finished rewriting a script that I'm trying to sell or get a rep with. Knocked out the first draft of one spec, working on an outline for a new one and hoping to have a third done by the end, all while rewriting the previous two. Persistence and being broke keeps me going.
HELL NAH!! But learning a lot, and improving upon my skills each day. Whether it's from reading other work, or just trial and error with my own.
My #1 excuse is time management, too much gettin' hammered and not enough writing. Striving for a better 2nd half of the year. I have a thought that getting rep'd and getting jobs will be a good fire under the tuckus. But enough with the hypotheticals... I just need to get this ball rolling!!!
Since my background is in production my goal was to make a 90 second trailer to promote my film by July, but I ran out of money for the shots I need after about 7 seconds of it. I decided to focus on writing since it is much less expensive. I just finished a treatment and was wondering if it is normal to go out with just that or if I have to have a completed screenplay first. I was happy to see that AntoBlueberry got a treatment funded for a full write. Is this a common practice?
I looked at all my long-standing projects--ones I feel so much love for, but waning passion--and decided to shelve them, indefinitely. They'd gone stale over the years, as great as they are (one problem of writing alone). So I decided to let the winds blow me where they may, and something wholly unexpected and wonderful has arisen--writing in a format I never imagined I would. And now things are taking off again.
Also, in film class, we had to write a short film. I didn't like mine, so the night before read-throughs, I wrote a new one, but in truth it's a feature. So now I'll spend the next few months building it into a feature film--the kind we don't normally see in Australia. This country is always dying for some kind of an industry shake-up...so long as the films are low budget!
Yep. I wrote a short screenplay and decided I want to turn it into a film and direct/produce it myself. So far I've got a successful fundraiser, got a DOP to shoot the film, 2 professional actors, and a small crew.
ReplyDeleteI stayed on track because I really want to be a filmmaker so fucking bad and I was tired of having my scripts getting a pass.
If you want something, you gotta realize that no one else is gonna give it to you. My goal was to get a script turned into a film. I realized that I CAN have my script turned into a film-- on my own. Only you can make it happen yourself. Go for your dream(s).
I've finished one of my three planned feature scripts for the year. I have been slacking a bit because we bought a home this year, but I think I can knock out number 2 by the end of August and the third before Christmas as a gift to myself.
ReplyDeleteNot even close; lack of time. But I know this won't be the case forever. I have a two-year-old and a nine-month-old at home and am sole breadwinner right now... so writing for my own development has to take a back seat to necessity.
ReplyDeleteOne of my goals was met. I just got to know I was granted a development fund to turn my treatment into a full script. Hopefully the other goal of having a production company actually read the treatment will be met in a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteFinished rewriting a script that I'm trying to sell or get a rep with. Knocked out the first draft of one spec, working on an outline for a new one and hoping to have a third done by the end, all while rewriting the previous two.
ReplyDeletePersistence and being broke keeps me going.
Not as much as I'd like.
ReplyDeleteI had a busy first half of the year with student interning 40 hours a week, graduating college, and planning a wedding.
Plus I've been rewriting two scripts for my manager so no time for the new scripts I'd like to write.
But I'm determined to make the 2nd half of my year more productive in terms of writing new material lol
Yes, I'm on schedule. Completed two feature scripts and now working on my third.
ReplyDeleteHELL NAH!! But learning a lot, and improving upon my skills each day. Whether it's from reading other work, or just trial and error with my own.
ReplyDeleteMy #1 excuse is time management, too much gettin' hammered and not enough writing. Striving for a better 2nd half of the year. I have a thought that getting rep'd and getting jobs will be a good fire under the tuckus. But enough with the hypotheticals... I just need to get this ball rolling!!!
Since my background is in production my goal was to make a 90 second trailer to promote my film by July, but I ran out of money for the shots I need after about 7 seconds of it. I decided to focus on writing since it is much less expensive. I just finished a treatment and was wondering if it is normal to go out with just that or if I have to have a completed screenplay first. I was happy to see that AntoBlueberry got a treatment funded for a full write. Is this a common practice?
ReplyDeleteI looked at all my long-standing projects--ones I feel so much love for, but waning passion--and decided to shelve them, indefinitely. They'd gone stale over the years, as great as they are (one problem of writing alone).
ReplyDeleteSo I decided to let the winds blow me where they may, and something wholly unexpected and wonderful has arisen--writing in a format I never imagined I would. And now things are taking off again.
Also, in film class, we had to write a short film. I didn't like mine, so the night before read-throughs, I wrote a new one, but in truth it's a feature. So now I'll spend the next few months building it into a feature film--the kind we don't normally see in Australia. This country is always dying for some kind of an industry shake-up...so long as the films are low budget!