Frame Rate

Birmingham filmmaker Chance Shirley of Crewless Productions is currently in production on his follow-up feature to Hide and Creep called Interplanetary. He maintains a blog that gives regular updates on the film’s progress, as well as valuable insights into movie making. One of his latest articles I found particularly informative. In it he discusses how he went about developing and writing the screenplay for Hide and Creep. It’s worth a read for all aspiring screenwriters.

Writer’s block. We’ve all experienced it. There you are, with big ideas swimming around in your head and you’re sitting there, in front of a blank computer screen - that stupid cursor just blinking, daring you to try and put something on paper. In a post last summer I discussed some good writing habits, but I know that certain techniques don’t work for everyone. So, here’s another suggestion - get physical. Sometimes just sitting at your desk doesn’t work. If not, then get out and do some physical exercise - take a walk, mow the lawn, lift weights, rake the leaves. The physical act of exercise allows the creative part of your brain to work on its own, sorting out all the information that’s traveling throughout your neuro galaxy. It works for me. Just last weekend I was on my roof cleaning out the gutters and had a breakthrough on a creative concept for a client’s commercial campaign. There are two important things to remember about writing - be habitual and find the technique that works best for you.

I came across this site today that’s perfect for the aspiring screenwriter. One of the hardest things about writing is self-discipline. Writing is like any venture - to be successful you must practice. But many of us just can’t seem to muster up the willingness to sit down every day and write. However, Script Frenzy provides the writer with some accountability. It’s a writing contest that takes place for one month every year and requires the participant to write 100 pages of a screenplay in 30 days. This year’s contest comes up in April. I think I may give it a shot. It is certainly a great way to get that first draft out of your mind and onto the paper. Even if you don’t want to participate in the writing contest, the site offers up great resources for the writer as well as discussion forums and insightful articles.

Some of you are probably keeping up with the on-going Hollywood writer’s strike - listening to both sides and trying to make sense of the issues. Some couldn’t care less about the policy involved; you’re just freaking out, knowing that the upcoming season of 24 will be delayed because of the strike. Well, for those wondering what the central issue is all about, let me encourage you to read this article from screenwriter John August.

“It’s all about the story.” That’s the statement you see on the banner for Celtx, a complete media pre-production application. I haven’t used Celtx for any of my scripts; I’ve always used Final Draft, but I have to admit that Celtx does sound pretty impressive. When you visit their website you can get a complete overview of the software, which handles everything you need to see your project through the pre-production process.

There are tools to help jump start the writing process. There are several different writing editors (screenplays, A/V scripts, theatrical plays, and plain text) available when you start putting your script together. There are also tools that allow you to budget and schedule your production; interactive tools allow for group collaboration; and storyboarding tools allow you to visualize the entire production beforehand.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been hearing more and more about Celtx, although it’s been around for a few years. You can find several reviews online in various blogs. Just visit Filmmaker.com and type “celtx” into their search engine. You will see several articles related to the software. 

It seems that when anyone is faced with a project, the hardest part is simply getting started. Many screenwriters also find this to be true. They have a great idea in their heads, but when it comes time to actually put the words down on paper, they can’t quite seem to get it out.

Aspiring novelist Steven Till posted a good article on his blog about how to be a more efficient writer. Basically it comes down to one thing - time. Everyday you have to set aside a fixed amount of time just for writing. Head on over to his site for the full article. His point is applicable whether you are a novelist, poet, or screenwriter. Writers write. Skilled athletes practice on a regular basis. So should writers. Here are a couple of other points to consider when trying to tackle that screenplay.

1. Try WRITING rather than TYPING. You may type faster than you write (like me), but there is something intimate about physically writing your thoughts down on paper. Plus, it’s an excellent memorization tool. I find that I often remember things better when I write versus typing. It helps me keep track of character studies, plot, story outlines, etc.

2. Just WRITE, without stopping to correct yourself. In the film Finding Forrester, Sean Connery’s character is a brilliant author who takes on the challenge of mentoring a young student. In teaching him how to come up with the first draft, Connery’s character insists that he just write. Don’t even think about it. Just put it down. As you struggle to overcome writer’s block, simply write your thoughts as they come. Even if you are writing “I don’t know what to write,” just keep your pen moving. You will be surprised at the creative break-throughs you will achieve.

Writing is an exhaustive process, and yet one that is very self-satisfying. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that you have created a new world on paper for others to enjoy. Okay, so why are you still reading. It’s time to start writing.

John August, acclaimed Hollywood screenwriter of such films as Go and Big Fish, posted a humorous article a while back on his blog about how writers overuse air ducts as a vehicle for their heroes to sneak around. Worth a read.

While working on my latest feature-length screenplay, I decided to go to the library just to browse around at some of the screenwriting resources that are available. Many of the titles that popped up in the search engine were unfortunately not available at the particular branch in which I was looking. However I did find a great book entitled The Screenwriter’s Bible by David Trottier. I posted it in my “Recommended Reading” section in the sidebar. The Screenwriter’s Bible is 350 pages of diverse information related to the writing process. It’s divided into separate sections, or “books” that cover information from getting started to finding an agent and selling your work. It’s a great resource to have in an aspiring writer’s library.

I ran across a nice little article on Alex Epstein’s blog about common mistakes made by filmmakers when producing a short film. And I admit it, I have violated number one on the list: I’ve made a short film that was way too long by short film standards. The article is worth a read.

In a previous post I shared some tips on how to develop a strong, simple story for a documentary film. Once you have a nice, tight, compelling story in place, it’s time to write your proposal. This document will summarize major points within your film and can be used in an effort to get support and funding for your project. Through it all, however, you must be able to communicate how your idea differs from other films with the same, or similar subject matter. Your proposal should have the following elements:

1. SUMMARY - In one or two sentences, describe your film’s content.

2. EXPLANATION OF SUBJECT MATTER - Here is where you define your subject for readers who might be unfamiliar with certain terms, issues, and/or events. Should you wish to produce a documentary on stem cell research, you would need to educate your readers on the stem cell issue, from the current morality debate to key items of legislation.

3. GOAL OF THE FILM - Simple enough. What do you wish to accomplish with this project?

4. EXPLANATION OF THE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE - This is where you outline the course your film will take. How will it progress? How will you get from point “A” to point “B?” How do you plan to tell the story? Some documentaries have a definite chronological order. Others are more ambiguous and rely heavily on the editing process to tell a compelling story.

5. RATIONALE FOR MAKING THE FILM - In this section you must define for your potential investor why making this film is important. For example, if you have an idea to produce a documentary about a young musical prodigy in your city, your rationale for making this film might be centered on the publicity your city and state will receive as a result of producing the project. You reasoning for wanting to produce such a documentary might also be to heighten public awareness regarding the need for liberal arts programs in our nation’s schools.

6. DISTRIBUTION - Sometimes you might find a wealthy family member or friend who is willing to support your film financially. A majority of the time, however, potential investors want to know how they can make money from this particular film. So, do some research. Find out which TV networks run programs similar to your subject matter. Investigate film festivals, DVD distribution, online sales, anything.

Sometimes, getting the idea is easy, but it will take research, preparation, and hard work to see your film through to completion.