You maybe asking yourself what the heck do I mean by TITLE, SUPER, or CHYRON... well, we all know what it is and if you've seen a spy movie, a movie with a flashback, or a title on a black screen before the next scene starts, then you've seen it! Truth be told, any movie can use this particular bit of formatting. They all mean the same thing. I learned SUPER and TITLE. TITLE, as I learned it, is usually "over black" and can convey the actual title of the film or some bit of information that the audience needs to know before the next sequence which could be the start of the film or in a transition from time to time or place to place. Now, I know what you're thinking... can't I just use SUPER? Absolutely! SUPER will be under the scene heading before for the first block of action and conveys the same info that the TITLE can. The next question you've got is what is CHYRON? I know you have that question because I had it too! I had never heard the term and that leads me to believe it's fallen into ill use. That's okay but being familiar with the term is still helpful. A CHYRON is the same thing as TITLE, text appearing over the scene. It's all personal preference. I can tell you I have yet to read a script that uses CHYRON. Hope you found this explanation helpful!
13 Comments
These things can make or break your pitch. A lot of writers struggle with this, I know I do. Here are some Do's and Don'ts:
Three elements of your logline should be: 1. Who (Protagonist) 2. What (Goal) 3. Who (or) What (Protagonist or Central Conflict) That is simple! But I know what you're thinking... I'm writing a script that's sci-fi or set somewhere other than the present. Not a problem. You just need a setup! Then your elements will look like this: 1. Setup 2. Who 3. What 4. Who/What Remember when writing your loglines, avoid internal processes. Your protagonist can't think about or prepare to. Keep the protagonist PROACTIVE. And yes, you can have bit more complex logline but these are the basics that every logline has! A parting review of elements in your logline: Setup (optional) Protagonist Dramatic Irony (optional) Inciting Incident (optional) Goal Antagonist/Central Conflict If you have any questions, please feel free to drop a comment! If you don't have a copy of Christopher Riley's "The Hollywood Standard" and you're going to be producing your own screenplays, you absolutely should pick up a copy. Click the link (yes, it is an Amazon Affiliate link... a gal's gotta make some extra $$ if she wants to get to places like Austin Film Fest or Sundance.) Why should you grab this book? Well, there are some things in here that Trottier doesn't quite cover. But before we get into that let me tell you a little about Christopher Riley.
Christopher Riley and his wife Kathleen wrote the 1999 film After the Truth. Prior to that from 1983 to 1998 he worked for Warner Bros. script processing department gleaning knowledge from veteran proofreaders and typists. These folks would have been around in the end of the old Hollywood system. He actually became the manager of the studio's script operation which supplied scripts to endless projects in development or in production at Warner and many other studios in L.A. He originated the software used for thousands of TV and film scripts and was often the final authority on the standard script format for Warner Bros. (That would be the Warner Bros. template you see in Final Draft.) Before anyone gets mad... I love "The Screenwriter's Bible." I have one very much abused copy of the fifth edition and a barely cracked sixth edition. There are things that I wish were in his book that aren't. Like how to write a Spec for a multi camera show. I know that may seem a bit obsolete but it's a skill that is required if you want to write in TV and especially for comedies. He also has how to write for a single camera, which is what most scripts are. Riley also has a section on special pages. You may be thinking what the heck are those? Well, the title page is one and he breaks each section of it down for you. I know you may be thinking 'It's "just" a title page. What's the big deal?' The big deal comes up when you get to the writing credits. Writing credits are determined by the WGA whether you're a member or not. Rules require that all the writers that worked on the project be listed on the title page. The example that Riley gives looks like this: (properly formatted, my apologies that it is not so here) 12 HOURS IN BERLIN Written by Felix Alvin Butler Jr. Revisions by Maria Gustav Charles Knowles-Hilldebrand Robert Bush Current Revisions by Johann Potemkin The first writer comes first. The credit could be "written by," "teleplay by," or "screenplay by." The current writer comes last under the "Current Revisions by" credit. You do not need to put a draft date on a spec script only those that are in production need draft dates. This is a component of the title page. Below the draft date is the copyright info or WGA registration number. Unless requested, do not put your WGA registration number on your spec script. Cast pages, Last pages, and act breaks (TV writers!!) are also covered under special pages. Now, I've not seen the 7th edition of The Screenwriter's Bible, so my knowledge is solely based on the 5th and 6th editions. The best parts of Trottier's book are the "Book IV" (AKA Writing and Revising Your Breakthrough Script: A Script Consultant's View") & "Book V" (AKA "How to Sell Your Script - A Marketing Plan") sections. He does touch on TV writing in the 6th edition. Yes, Trottier is Dr. Format, but he trains you just on spec formatting. Like I said, if you're looking to produce your film yourself, or you're working with someone that needs you to do a production copy of a script pick up The Hollywood Standard 2nd Edition. You'll be glad you did! Most of us that have been around more than a day know that we should register our scripts with the WGA. Feel free to register them with the copyright office/Library of Congress. You can even hire an copyright attorney. If you're in Little Rock, AR... I recommend Chris Corbitt. (His oldest child played club soccer with my daughter and he was always busy!) But, by far the easiest is the WGA. It's $20 for non-members, you get your registration number right away and you can screenshot that bad boy to print. You'll still get your certificate in the mail in a few weeks.
Did you know that you can register more than your feature or your pilot? Shut the front door! No way! Per the WGA Registry website... "Any file may be registered to assist you in documenting the creation of your work. Some examples of registerable material include scripts, treatments, synopses, and outlines... The WGAW Registry also accepts stageplays, novels, books, short stories, poems, commercials, lyrics, drawings, music and various media work such as Web series, code, and other digital content." I know! Isn't it fabulous? So, got story ideas for days? Write the treatment and register it! Here's a complete list on what material you can register: Screenplay (it's the default) Animation Art Autobiography Bible Biography Book Commercial Concept (not sure what exactly this means) Documentary Format (Another huh) Gameshow IPR Use Only (Still not sure) Lyrics Manuscript Music Musical Notes (Yeah, you can register your notes) Other (Doesn't fit any of these categories? No worries!) Outline Photograph Pilot Pitch Play Poems Proposal Scene (Yep!) Script Series Sketch Spec Story Synopsis Teleplay Trailer Translation Treatment The accepted mediums: Screen Interactive Literary Music Online/Digital Radio Stage TV Unspecified (Yep! Not sure where your project is going to fit...) V/C Videogame Now that you know... get to creating and register those babies with the WGA! February 27, 2017 (Originally published)
NEVER STOP WRITING!!! Set deadlines for yourself and don't let yourself get away with excuses. There are lots of ways to get into the habit of writing. Here are some ideas that have helped me through the years (WARNING -- I CURSE BELOW!!! *Please don't be too offended): 1.) Morning journal -- Before starting work every day I open up a hard-bound leather journal and write at least one page about what happened the day before. This is a place to air your hopes and dreams, express frustrations or just practice writing descriptive sentences. If I have nothing to day (so very rare), I might go to a coffee shop, observe everyone there for a while, and then choose one person -- then I write the most descriptive, imaginative few paragraphs about them ever. This sometimes leads to really well-drawn characters that serve as the launching point to entire stories. It's a great way to hone your skills and practice, practice, practice. 2.) Angry journal -- Shit happens. If you have trouble writing general, "so this happened yesterday" diary entries, keep an angry journal instead. This journal is just for when you are really pissed off and need to vent. If you can make a habit of writing these moments down, it can launch you into writing when you are less upset because your journal has become your sounding board. Reading your own history of frustration can also spark ideas for stories, too! 3.) Dream journal -- Have weird dreams? Keep a journal by your bed and don't be afraid to write them down the moment you wake up! These will serve as inspiration and starting points for years to come (mine did). 4.) Don't break the chain -- This is a Writer's Store method. Take a grid of 365 ordered, numbered squares and write every day, crossing out one square per day. If you write every day, you won't break the chain between squares. Give yourself a big prize at the end -- like a 90 minute massage or a new TV. You don't have to write tons of pages every day -- just write whatever you've decided to challenge yourself with. Could be a paragraph, a page or an observation. 4.) Take on free-lance work, even if it's just simple copy editing. If you get used to writing under a deadline, you'll learn how to be a more effective writer. 5.) Never be perfect! Many writers experience writer's block. The trick is to realize that whatever you write is going to suck the first time you vomit it out. Embrace that. Get it on the page, step away, let yourself breathe, then come back to it with fresh eyes. It's always easier to rewrite than it is to write. What methods work for you? April 24, 2017 (Originally published)
So… Legion M’s past few weeks have been wonderful and exciting, and well… busy! We opened COLOSSAL and organized meetups all over the country and put together SWAG bags and signed posters and, and… and! And… one thing I did NOT do was keep my promise to write this blog weekly. Every time I thought, “I should really take some time to write that blog,” ten other things popped up that had to be done “right now.” For those of you waiting for my weekly writing advice, I’m sorry it’s been a few weeks! MEA CULPA! With my head hung low in shame, I will now try to impart on you what I myself am practicing today… WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. Sometimes I struggle to find a fresh, original story without ever realizing I might be living one. Take, for example, a conversation I had with Legion M investor Audrey at our San Diego meetup yesterday (hope you don’t mind being my example today, Audrey). Audrey coaches rowing at the oldest women’s rowing club in the world (125 years and counting). How the club started and what it’s become over the last century and a quarter is a fascinating story of struggle, women’s rights and women in sports. There’s potentially a fascinating story there. When Audrey told me she wanted to exercise her writing muscle, we talked about what she was interested in (genre), what great movies have been made recently (HIDDEN FIGURES was mentioned) and how to find things to write about. The more she told me about her personal story, the more I realized she doesn’t have to look too far to find something she can really sink her teeth into. Allison Schroeder, the screenwriter of HIDDEN FIGURES who was nominated for an Oscar this year, grew up near Cape Canaveral where she interned at NASA as a teenager (see this LA Times article for more on her incredible background). It wasn’t until she wrote what she knew that she found a high level of success as a writer. If you want to write, but aren’t sure where to start, writing what you know can be the launchpad for success. Think about what you’ve experienced in your life and how you might apply that to a fresh and “unique to you” story: · Use the people you’ve met as the basis for character and dialogue. · Bring the feelings you’ve experienced and how they’ve developed over time into the story to create emotion and character arcs. · Look for ideas around you to help shape your idea. · No idea what to write? Research things that really, truly interest you and find the kernel of story that will become your launchpad in that research. Writing what you know will help your writing become more authentic. Take the week to think about what you know. Tell me if you find your launchpad! Good luck! p.s. I wrote this blog entry practicing the "write what you know" technique. It was really helpful! February 27, 2017 (Originally published)
Good Monday Morning! After a crazy Oscar night, I went to bed thinking about how gracious and graceful the producers of La La Land and Moonlight were about the Best Picture snafu. It got me thinking... Why do I like to work with certain writers over others? It's a simple answer: Professionalism. What makes a writer a "professional?" Different entertainment execs will tell you different nuances of the same thing, but here are some important elements: 1.) Grace Under Fire: In this industry, writers must take an unending amount of notes and criticism. It's all part of the collaborative creative process, and those that take notes well tend to work more. Executives, producers and directors all have their own singular vision about how a script should read, a plot should develop or a character should arc. Studios and networks have specific needs -- to satisfy a particular audience, to keep standards and practices at bay, to service the talent, etc. The best writers can take all the notes thrown at them and incorporate them into one coherent whole with grace. I like working with writers who can thread this needle because they are easy to work with, creative when cornered, and are terrific problem solvers -- making them even more creative and original than the average bear. 2.) Treat Writing Like a Job: A writer's job in this industry is to be deliver. Deliver, deliver, deliver. In addition to being collaborative, smart, well-researched and creative, the best writers deliver on-time with organized and polished work. They add value to the process and work just as hard as everyone else in the room. That means you've got to be ready to answer any question about your material, find ways to solve production problems through the script (that set piece is too expensive -- be ready with an interesting alternative), and rewrite dialogue or scenes on a whim just to prove to the director that his vision can (or can't) work. 3.) Always Be Working: Just because a writer isn't currently getting paid for a writing assignment doesn't mean they can relax by binge-watching the entire series of LOST for weeks at a time. Good writers are always writing. They are always looking for the next best idea, writing a spec script, working on a pitch, acquiring underlying material, doing research, meeting with other creatives, taking networking and biz dev meetings, etc. Writers that rely solely on their previous work and their agents/managers to get them jobs don't do very well because they aren't advocating for their own career. Writers who constantly deliver new material to their reps, make calls on their own behalf, let their network know they have a new idea, offer to help out friends when needed (yes, you can put together a table read for them), and show up, show up, show up -- to meeting after meeting -- will land jobs before others who don't pound the pavement. Writing is a job -- treat it like one... Punch in. 4.) Be Nice: Assholes may get work once or twice if they're really talented and have something the industry really wants, but the industry won't come back to them over and over for work. Writers who are nice, fun and have a sense of humor get more work than jerks. Writers who are nice retire as writers. Writers who are jerks don't. 5.) Learn About Producing and Directing (even if you don't want to do those jobs): Writers who understand the cost of a scene and can write for a particular budget level have a higher value than those who don't. Nothing is worse than saying to a writer, "This is a $2 million movie," and then get a script delivered for a $20 million movie. The most powerful writers in TV - the showrunners -- are the lead producers for their TV show. They are in the CEO position of the production and have to understand everything from creative to production to legal. They speak the languages of all departments, and can solve any problem. As a writer developing a script on assignment, this his is a particularly valuable skill and will serve your career well. 6.) Say Thanks: If someone takes a meeting with you, even if it doesn't go well, FOLLOW UP and say THANKS! Even if they HATED your pitch or were rude, you will get more flies with sugar. I know execs who will revisit writers whose meetings were terrible if the writer's follow-up is professional and respectful, or even fun! One writer had an awful meeting with an exec (he had an off day) and the exec was upset over the wasted time, so the writer sent an apology with a Matchbox Delorean asking for a Back-to-the-Future do-over. He got it. Go do some good writing today! There are three excellent ways to get an agent or manager:
1.) The best way is to enter screenplay competitions, do well and get on finalist lists. If you are top 10 or even top 20-30, you might start getting calls for reads. Many breaking writers submit 1-4 scripts a year to these competitions, and those that do well get repped pretty readily. 2.) Another option is to enter live pitch competitions (with real execs -- make sure it's legit) and knock your pitch out of the park. Because you're there in person, it's harder for the development exec or assistant to deny your script -- give a great pitch (assuming it's the type of material they'd be looking for), and you'll likely get asked to submit the script. 3.) Finally, get to know the assistants on the desks of agents or managers. They are the gatekeepers and are often keen to find the "next big writer," so they are more likely to read your script, give feedback, even give you good coverage. If you have good coverage from a reputable agency (especially one of the big ones), you can attach that to your script as "validation" when submitting elsewhere. The best way to meet these assistants? If you're in LA or NY, become an assistant for a year, or go out and be social, or join groups like Women in Film, ISA, Jr. HRTS, etc. If you're not local, join these groups online and be helpful (don't ask for anything at first). Once people get to know you and like you, you'll get opportunities to ask for a read. You can also go to local film festivals, volunteer to be a PA on the set of a local movie, TV series or commercial, go to comic cons and classes -- you never know who you'll meet! If you are asked to sign submission release forms, readily agree. Most won't accept your submission without one. Hope this helps! Nothing screams “amateur” or “unprofessional” more than a script that has the wrong font or the wrong format.
There is a standard industry format that all screenplays must follow. Below are some quick tips: 1.) If you’re serious about being a writer, I can’t stress this enough: Invest in FINAL DRAFT software (https://www.finaldraft.com). This software will do most of your formatting for you. It is widely accepted and used in the industry, and you can also export .fdx to .pdf and other industry tools (like budgeting, scheduling and production). The software is a HUGE time-saver and WORTH THE MONEY (yes, even at $250). Your scripts will always look professional, and you’ll be viewed as a more serious writer if you’re submitting in what has become THE industry standard software. This software is almost foolproof. 2.) Here is a fun example and scripted example of standard industry format that also explains some rules of script formatting: https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/scriptsample.pdf. 3.) If you don't have time to read the 12 page script above, or if Final Draft simply isn’t in your budget/you’re not sure you’re ready to invest, here are the absolute basics of industry standard script formatting: Font: Courier Type: 12 Points Margins: Top: 1”, Bottom/Right: from .25-1”, Left: 1.5” (to allow for binding – which for scripts is almost always 3 hole punched and secured by brads). Page Numbers: Except for the title page and first page (where there are no page numbers), all page numbers should be top right with a number followed by a period. Scene/Dialogue/Action: Rather than trying to explain this fairly involved concept of scene headings, etc., take a look at the above script example and this terrific online resource by written by Joe Mefford of Final Draft and Dave Trottier, best-selling author of The Screenwriterʼs Bible and columnist for Script Magazine: https://www.finaldraft.com/mm_media/mm_pdf/How_to_Format_a_Screenplay.pdf. This resource also gives you examples of how professionally produced scripts look. Title Page: Name of your script in Courier, 12 point font in all caps 1/3 of the way down, then a double return, then “By” then a double return then your name with just the first letters of each name capitalized. You can include your contact information (or your reps' contact information) on the lower right corner (although some formatting resources say the lower left corner). Unless you're in production or development and need to keep track of revisions, avoid putting a date on your script. 4.) Act Breaks: The discussion about act breaks falls outside of this post, but you must learn proper act breaks for different types of scripts: feature films are almost always 3 acts (and you never define which act you're in), while TV shows vary by length and (sometimes) by network. The standard for a one-hour drama is 4 acts (but can be as many as 6, and I've even been asked to write in 7 acts), while the standard for a half-hour sitcom is 3 acts (including the opening and tag). Some TV Scripts define where the act breaks are, especially for comedy, others do not. Take a look at this for more information: https://blcklst.com/help/tv_script_standards.pdf and read books and articles about how to structure your script (which is different than formatting). If you Google screenwriting, the top 10 best books come up, plus several online resources... read those. If you don't use Final Draft, please share your screenplay formatting hacks below! Remember, first impressions are everything. If an agent, manager or exec opens your script and finds that it's not properly formatted, chances are excellent that they won't get past the first few pages, no matter how amazing your idea. Take the time to learn this important element of screenwriting professionalism. |
Legion M
These posts were from the Writers Room in the Legion M Forum. "Screenwriting 101" is written by Nikki Ackerman. Don't know what Legion M is? It's the world's first fan-owned entertainment company. Want to know more? Visit Legion M at legionm.com Archives
January 2021
Categories |