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Two days of this years' Screenwriters' Festival is devoted wholly to new screenwriters, and it will help equip inexperienced screenwriters with the skills they need to progress themselves in the industry. If you register on this site you will soon get an email explaining the costs and booking procedures for applying for the day. In the meantime here are some tips.
So you want to write screenplays?
Screenwriters' Festival Director David Pearson offers some advice:
- Write about something you know about, but remember you have to make what you think is interesting into a compelling story that will interest a wide paying audience.
- Write and rewrite and rewrite.
- Make your characters interesting and believable.
- Keep going and complete the screenplay to the end of a story (people often start to rewrite before they found the ending which can cause problems).
- Make sure the first 10 pages of the script are strong and enticing (typical full length film scripts are between 90 and 120 pages long).
- Consider writing short film scripts first i.e. a ten minute film is 10 pages long using standard conventions. You may find it easier to get someone to make a new writers' short script.
- Read other screenplays of films you admire (you can download them free on the internet) and follow a common format for layout - you can get a template from the BBC Writers’ Room or buy industry standard software packages.
- Be prepared to write several screenplays without payment to demonstrate you have the ability and talent - if you want to make a career of screenwriting.
- Follow Richard Curtis' advice to aspiring writers and use your knowledge of a subject in a popular genre e.g. thriller, action, horror, comedy, sci fi etc. That way it is easier to define your story and explain to producers and others what kind of a story it is.
- Learn about genres and the way the industry takes a script into development before going into production.
- Films stories are mechanisms for delivering emotional experiences, and they cost a lot of money to make, so ask yourself:
- Does my story offer an audience an emotional experience?
- Is it a strong story? Don't confuse a strong subject with a good story.
- Can you summarise the story in a few key lines? E.g A man fights his greatest fears to confront a huge fish that can eat him. Jaws.
- That sounds more compelling than "the story is about a fisherman in trouble".
- Is it clear who your main characters are and have they had to undergo a personal change during the course of the story?
- Is there conflict for the main characters and do the difficulties facing them increase as the story progress'?
- Remember making films is a team activity (and films cost a lot to make - so directors, producers, script editors, actors and financiers etc will want to have their points considered), so if you want complete control of your work you may be better suited to another form of writing e.g. poetry, novels, travel writing etc.
- Be resilient, listen to constructive criticism, but follow your own instincts.
- If you do want to write scripts study the industry, read other scripts, watch films and do training sessions, and come events like the new writers day at the Screenwriters' Festival.
The Festival also welcomes inquiries from business' outside the film and TV industry who want to learn more about good story telling.
Software
Final Draft 7.1
“The industry standard script writing software. Near enough every production company in the world uses this software. If you don’t have it, you must try and get it….”
Dramatica Pro 4.0
“Got a story in mind? How about an idea for a story? Either way, Dramatica Pro is a great place to start. As your creative writing partner, it takes you to a special place- a story development environment where together you'll solve the plot and character problems that prevent many good stories from becoming great enough to sell.”
Books
Adventures in the Screen Trade
By William Goldman
“THE screenwriters book. A must have and a must read… From the writer of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "All the President's Men" and "Marathon Man", Oscar-winning screen writer William Goldman presents his memories and views of movie-making, and of acting greats such as Redford, Olivier, Newman and Hoffman.”
Story
By Robert McKee
“'Story' deciphers the guiding structural principles that animate every classical and award-winning film, ranging from "Citizen Kane" through to modern acclaimed works like "The English Patient".”
Screenplay
By Syd Field
“This is a good book for beginners. As with McKee's "Story", it belongs on your shelf if you want to start screenwriting. It's easy to read, logical and full of useful tools for the aspiring screenwriter.”