Screenwriting Thread!

[Hammer of Justice]

In all my many months at Gaia (This being a different gendered mule account, natch.), I've seen one screenwriting thread. This disturbs me.

So, screenwriters of Gaia! What are your tricks of the trade? Are you of the bare-bones school of screenwriting, or do you perfer floral screenwriting? Are you considering going into films? Do actors/directors like your material often? What do you use to write? What genres, typically?

I use Final Draft 6.0 but do my final edit in MS Word (after converting to RTF). I tend to write humour. I'm usually pretty bare bones, but I don't shy away from description. Different actors have different reactions to my work. Boy, I'm pretensious. I've done one film, and that film was financed by my High School and has yet to be filmed. But I have high hopes. Yay

And you, the merry viewers at home?

[Lady Brick]

I've actually been doing screenwriting for only about three years. I started my last year of undergrad and it's been my focus in grad school. Come Dec, I'll be eligible to teach it at the university level though 3nodding

So far, I have only written humor (which is odd, because in prose, I almost never wrote humor) I tend to go for sparse in tems of action, though I do like to use it to set tone. I shoot people who insert camera angles and character thoughts and such.

My screenplay I am polishing for my thesis is one that might have a future after school... my prof's "A-list" screenwriter friend wants to read it when it's done. (Actually the guy came to a class and seemed to be something of a lunatic) I also have a stage play that won a fellowship I'm working on getting published, but that's theatre as opposed to film.

[Hammer of Justice]

Lady Brick

I've actually been doing screenwriting for only about three years. I started my last year of undergrad and it's been my focus in grad school. Come Dec, I'll be eligible to teach it at the university level though 3nodding

So far, I have only written humor (which is odd, because in prose, I almost never wrote humor) I tend to go for sparse in tems of action, though I do like to use it to set tone. I shoot people who insert camera angles and character thoughts and such.

My screenplay I am polishing for my thesis is one that might have a future after school... my prof's "A-list" screenwriter friend wants to read it when it's done. (Actually the guy came to a class and seemed to be something of a lunatic) I also have a stage play that won a fellowship I'm working on getting published, but that's theatre as opposed to film.

Oooh, shiny. I'm still an amateur.

Are there really people who write character thoughts? That's...sad. I onyl do camera angles if a physical joke requires it (close-up, etc.)

I'm looking into moving into stage - how is it really different from screenwriting? Any major things I should know?

[Lady Brick]

This is Nicole!

Oooh, shiny. I'm still an amateur.

Are there really people who write character thoughts? That's...sad. I onyl do camera angles if a physical joke requires it (close-up, etc.)

I'm looking into moving into stage - how is it really different from screenwriting? Any major things I should know?

The format isn't terribly different, but the approach seems to be the opposite for the majority of playwrights. While screenplays are usually planned out to the tiniest detail via treatments, most playwrights go for a more organic approach and let it develop without restricting it much, and rarely writing linearly. I found that to be a nervewracking way to write, but I can't argue with the finished product.

Also, main thing in a play is subtext. No one ever talks about what they are actually talking about. It's all metaphor and layers and icebergs and crap.

[Heidi no Lux]

I've been screenwriting for... geez... six months? I have a director that I work with (who I met over the net) who sort of got me into it - which is great because he's totaly skilled at his craft and a multi-award winner, despite being 3 years younger than me...

I think he starts shooting our first project today over east - I'm assuming he found a replacement actor for one that had other engagements... This is just a "kill time" thing, and also to work on our skills for our next project, in which we have actual money and backers for ($4 mil at that), which is sort of insane, but there you go. We're going to China to shoot that one, at the beginning of next year.

Anyway, I've taken two screenwriting courses, one at uni the other outside. My stuff tends to be fairly dialogue heavy with long moments of silence. I rarely write in camera angles and such, just because I want to leave a lot of stuff there for the director. I'm not in the least bit bare-boned though, and have long sections of descriptions, often quite flowery, but then I imagine I'm actually more of a natural prose writer.

I use Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000, which I am very fond of.

I actually started play writing before screenwriting - the main differences are ones of restrictions and such - there are things that will never work on stage, but then there are also things which power is amplified tenfold when it happens live in front of you.

[Hammer of Justice]

Unh.

So, one of you is going to be teaching screenwriting, and the other is going to be going to China to shoot a 4 million dollar film.

I'm a fourteen year old with one finished (but still short) script that's being produced by a drama teacher. Suddenly I think I'm sort of in a different league. :O

Quote:

I rarely write in camera angles and such, just because I want to leave a lot of stuff there for the director.

I also have a strong interest in directing, so I'd enjoy having more freedom with the script. I would not enjoy being suffocated by a script in the least.

[Heidi no Lux]

This is Nicole!

Unh.

So, one of you is going to be teaching screenwriting, and the other is going to be going to China to shoot a 4 million dollar film.

I'm a fourteen year old with one finished (but still short) script that's being produced by a drama teacher. Suddenly I think I'm sort of in a different league. :O

Thing is though, I'm still a total beginner and am still learning it all - I just happened to get totally lucky with who I met up with.

I'd be interested in directing too - but I also act as well, which should be useful for adding to the profoundly low screenwriter's income.

[Lady Brick]

I doubt I will be teaching, don't have much of an interest, but I'll be qualified to 3nodding I'll have my MFA in creative writing, which is a terminal degree (no PHD to follow) so it qualifies you for university level.

I think it's great you're into screenwriting and having work produced at 14. I've been writing since I was 8, but only got into screenwriting when I was about 21, so I wish I had started earlier. Probably would have ended up geting a film degreee instead of English.

[Caffeine Pirate Nyx]

Heidi no Lux

This is Nicole!

Unh.

So, one of you is going to be teaching screenwriting, and the other is going to be going to China to shoot a 4 million dollar film.

I'm a fourteen year old with one finished (but still short) script that's being produced by a drama teacher. Suddenly I think I'm sort of in a different league. :O

Thing is though, I'm still a total beginner and am still learning it all - I just happened to get totally lucky with who I met up with.

I'd be interested in directing too - but I also act as well, which should be useful for adding to the profoundly low screenwriter's income.

You are my new idol. I think I'm going to stalk you.


Come to think of it, I'm going to China soon. ninja

[Hammer of Justice]

Heidi no Lux

This is Nicole!

Unh.

So, one of you is going to be teaching screenwriting, and the other is going to be going to China to shoot a 4 million dollar film.

I'm a fourteen year old with one finished (but still short) script that's being produced by a drama teacher. Suddenly I think I'm sort of in a different league. :O

Thing is though, I'm still a total beginner and am still learning it all - I just happened to get totally lucky with who I met up with.

I'd be interested in directing too - but I also act as well, which should be useful for adding to the profoundly low screenwriter's income.

Me acting is kinda funny. If I don't like the material I'll just go off on a tangent. This is why I can never be in a school play.

Quote:

I think it's great you're into screenwriting and having work produced at 14. I've been writing since I was 8, but only got into screenwriting when I was about 21, so I wish I had started earlier. Probably would have ended up geting a film degreee instead of English.

Eh, production is such a strong word. The drama teacher's going to help out a bit.

I was just reading through the script and I'm suprised I still find some of the stuff in it funny - especially after so long.

[Heidi no Lux]

nyx-thanato

You are my new idol. I think I'm going to stalk you.


Come to think of it, I'm going to China soon. ninja

xd

Man, that didn't take much self-promotion at all to get my stalker blaugh .

Anyway, after that project I want to get working on a filmic version of Sebetin's Ex-Lovers, which would totally rock. Damn, I was gonna start a novel too... so little time...

Oh wait, I'm 20. I have, like, all the time in the world.

[Hammer of Justice]

Heidi no Lux

nyx-thanato

You are my new idol. I think I'm going to stalk you.


Come to think of it, I'm going to China soon. ninja

xd

Man, that didn't take much self-promotion at all to get my stalker blaugh .

Anyway, after that project I want to get working on a filmic version of Sebetin's Ex-Lovers, which would totally rock. Damn, I was gonna start a novel too... so little time...

Oh wait, I'm 20. I have, like, all the time in the world.

But you're a screenwriter. You'll burn out after a while, and then no one will hire you. Then you'll make your triumphant return and work on a TV show for a while. Then you die.

[Lady Brick]

If the comedy holds up after a while, very good sign.

Some of the writing in my year-old screenplay that is now my grad thesis makes me cringe, but some lines I forgot about just kill me. I wish I didn't have issues with laughing at my own stuff... I always feel kind of pretentious sweatdrop

[Lady Brick]

This is Nicole!

But you're a screenwriter. You'll burn out after a while, and then no one will hire you. Then you'll make your triumphant return and work on a TV show for a while. Then you die.

Actually, these days, writing for TV isn't really considered "lower" than writing for movies like in the old days. It's something Im seriously considering going into, though I'd probably need to write a new spec script. I don't know if my season 3 Angel one would really cut it especially now that the show is off the air sweatdrop

[Heidi no Lux]

This is Nicole!

Me acting is kinda funny. If I don't like the material I'll just go off on a tangent. This is why I can never be in a school play.

Yeah, for acting sometimes you just have to drop your own likes and dislikes and just become an emotions whore. I mean, as in, showing emotions for the sake of someone else's project (or your own pay, if you're a pro). Still, I find it very fun usually.

This is Nicole!

But you're a screenwriter. You'll burn out after a while, and then no one will hire you. Then you'll make your triumphant return and work on a TV show for a while. Then you die.

Well, I'm more of a Jack of all trades, master of none type writer, but anyways. I'd love work on TV anyway, I think it's a very underrated medium in terms of critical acclaim.