If you’re a faithful user of Final Draft (FD) but have been waiting to upgrade until it got better (like I don’t know, real-time collaboration and importing of other file formats), you are not alone! With other competitors like Fade In (collaboration, file importing, 1/4 of FD's price), Writer Duet (collaboration, file importing, monthly subscription, three free screenplays), Celtx (formerly free – now monthly/annual subscription), and Movie Magic’sScreenwriter (used by legendary screenwriter Paul Haggis). The thing that FD did so well? Templates! If you write strictly for TV and needed to write a spec for a specific show to try to get hired on in that writer’s room, chances are FD had the template you needed. There are so many templates that I can’t possible list them all. FD used to come with a certain number pre-loaded and you could always go download more from their site. With this upgrade, there are no more pre-loaded TV templates. You click on the little “download more templates” link and you can get the link to download the TV templates. The templates for scripts haven’t changed. FD still includes the obsolete Cole and Haag, and 135 story structure. They are helpful if you’re interested in the progression of the screenplay format. Script templates now includes Spanish, French, and German, three different Dramatists Guild templates, and an index card template. Still have just the four templates for graphic novels (Dark Horse, Generic, and Image) and plot outline. FD has text templates as well: manuscript, novel, outline, query letter (I have used this one a couple of times), text, and treatment (I have also used this one, handy). There is also the “My Templates) where, I assume, you can save your favorite/frequently used templates. I haven’t tried that feature yet. What else did FD do with this update? They added real-time collaboration! Still no file import, maybe next update… The folks at FD have also made the window cleaner as well as brighter. The shortcuts are now button form. (Can you tell? I upgraded from FD9!!) You have a button for feedback, title page, and collaboration just to name a few. Is it worth the $99.99? I don’t know yet. I just upgraded and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t do it when it was $79.99. (<- FYI, that’s the everyday price of Fade In and their upgrades are free. Not that I’m saying one is better than the other…) Final Draft is still industry standard, however, I do know that more people are going over to other options, especially new writers who just don’t have the extra for the huge price tag on FD. I hope this has been informative in your decision to get Final Draft 11 or to go with a less costly software for formatting. It really is a must if you plan on getting into screenwriting.
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Nope, not lines that you stand in for logs. Sorry people in cold places! Some writers are great at loglines, others... not so much. When I went to Full Sail we used the attached worksheet. I've attached my first logline for "Sandbox" as well. I can tell you that was not how I was taught to do a logline as an undergrad. I learned from someone who'd actually sold things. I guess we should start with what is a logline? Loglines are those 2 sentence blurbs that are on the info screen. It's what makes you say, "Hm, that sounds ah-MAZ-ing" or "That sounds like shit, keep flipping!" It's the hook and that's how you get someone to read your script. (Do not submit a script with the logline on the cover unless it's requested!) Here's one logline for a sci-fi series I've adapted from a few shorts that I wrote called "The Brigid Chronicles." A Volmari time traveler, at the direction of the Order, puts timelines right; not just for earth but other planets and due to her travels, she happens to inspire the Celtic to create a Goddess in her likeness. And for "Sandbox." As the war in Iraq becomes deadlier, Army SGT Winter Ashcroft copes with the death of her fiancé in Afghanistan, being away from her daughter for the first time, as well as a sadistic section sergeant, all while teaching her soldiers how to survive on the battlefield. (This is loosely based on the FSU model. I'm not a fan but this has also gotten material requests. I don't even use this when I pitch live. We'll go over pitching in another post!) Which one would hook you? I'm in the "not great at loglines" category. When you're writing a logline, find things that are similar to your story that have been produced. Take a look at the structure and what elements of the story that are used in the logline. Do you know how Star Trek was pitched? "Wagon Train in space!" Well... okay. That's not a logline, that's a comp (or comparison) which has nothing to do with a logline. It sets up the tone of your script. "Sandbox" is "M*A*S*H" meets "China Beach" in the desert of Iraq. "The Brigid Chronicles" is "Doctor Who" meets "Quantuum Leap" and "Sliders." <-- They set the tone, not tell about the script. I felt it important to differentiate between comps and loglines before we move on. The Full Sail model is 55 words and one long run-on sentence. Make sure it's active and present not passive or past tense. Does it have to be 55 words? No. Can you get the reader to pick up your script in 15 or 20, or *gasp* 10? By all means do so! Dr. Format says "Write the TV Guide logline for your story!" He uses Who, What, Why, & Who. I'll use "Sandbox" as an example. Who is your central character? SGT Winter Ashcroft What is his/her main goal? To survive a war zone and get home uninjured, both physically and mentally. (This goal should drive the story.) Why is the goal important to the character? She has a young daughter that she needs to get home to. Who is trying to stop her from achieving that goal? The war and SFC Grundhoffer. As the war in Iraq becomes deadlier, Army SGT Winter Ashcroft copes with the death of her fiancé in Afghanistan, being away from her daughter for the first time, as well as a sadistic section sergeant, all while teaching her soldiers how to survive on the battlefield. (Does this fit the TV Guide model? I think it does and adds a little more.) However you do your logline... what matters is that it hooks the reader. Don't do run-on sentences and keep it present and active. Have fun crafting your loglines! If you have any questions, feel free to give me a shout! I hope this has been a little bit helpful.
If you've been around screenwriters for longer than a day, you'll have heard the terms Spec and Shooting. So, what the heck is the difference? Speculative (or Spec) scripts are what we all write in the hopes that some studio will buy it and make us rich, or at least make us comfortable for a few months. Shooting scripts are what are used on set. I've attached one so you can see the differences. The scenes are numbered and there are camera shots added in. These won't be in a Spec script. I've not really done a shooting script but I've read a ton of them as I am sure a lot of you have. There are a plethora out there on the interwebs. The first script I ever wrote I put in camera angles and my instructor was like, "No. Take all of those out." Roger. It's tough when you're like "But I know that if there's this wide shot here and we pan and zoom in, then it would be so awesome!" If you've ever thought that, you need to go down to the local college and sign up for directing classes if they have them, because you might have a director hiding inside your noggin. And no, I'm not saying writers can't be directors, I'm saying be comfortable with one before you tackle the other.
Wait... aren't they the same thing just different screen sizes? You would think but... WRONG! Writing for film all you have to worry about is your three act structure. (If you're not sure what that is... we'll discuss that in another post and include pictures and whatnot.) Writing for TV means act breaks and three act structures within each of these separate little shorts... if you've already written a bunch of short films you're already on your way to writing for television. Crafty TV Writing by Alex Epstein. Good book. We had to have it for my MFA but I'd already read it for my undergrad honors project. Highly recommend it if you think you may want to write for TV. Writing for TV, once you're staffed on a show means a little more creative control (or so I am told) in camera angles. I'll get back to you on that when I get staffed on a show! So, what do I mean by act breaks? Take your favorite TV show (it could be 1/2 hour comedy or 1 hr drama). When the show goes to commercial... that's an act break. The scene preceding the act break is an "act out," "hook," or (my fav) "cliffhanger" to get the viewer to come back after they flip the channel to skip the commercials. Don't argue. I know that more and more shows are gearing toward streaming but you will always have ABC, CBS, & NBC. CW & FOX may eventually see the light, but that's another discussion all together! Netflix and the no-commercial version of Hulu may not have act breaks in their script and that's okay. If you know you're going to pitch and shop your script to a premium outlet (HBO, Showtime, Netflix, etc) don't worry about act breaks. "Homeland" doesn't have any. But if you want your show on the big networks, act breaks! When you're writing, don't forget... each scene has its own beginning, middle, and end. Complete with small story arcs. What does the protagonist want at the start? How are they going to get it? Do they get it by the end? This is really important to keep in mind when you're writing with act breaks! Writing for film is easier (for the most part)! You get your idea, you know where you want to go, hopefully you have the ending, and then all you have to do is let your characters take you there. You have significantly more pages to do it in. Features run anywhere from 90 - 120 pages. A lot depends on genre. Comedies are generally 90 pages, while meatier things like "The Bourne Supremacy" are longer (121 pages). I just finished an action script (Candace Glass) and I'll tell you, it was rough to fill in. It was the first time I had come at a script with the ending in place. I had to round out a relationship I'd hinted at and a meet the family kind of thing, setting it up to hopefully be franchise or lead in for a TV show. (Why is it we come back to TV? A lot of writers like TV because it offers a steady paycheck.) I've included 3 scripts... The "Castle" script landed me on the Emmy Foundations finalist list for an internship. I was also working on the full episode to have as a Spec sample when the show was cancelled. Didn't get the internship, but I wanted you guys to know that I'm really a screenwriter and not someone that says I'm a screenwriter. The AMC show "The Killing" is now on Netflix. I want you to take a look at a script with act breaks. And then there's the Chinatown script. Well, because it's "Chinatown" and what other reason do we need?!? Thanks for stopping by and write on!
This one... it bugs me. Flashbacks can be advantageous. I've used them. Sometimes you have to use them to help move a story along. And to make matters worse... there are several "acceptable" ways to write them. I've found that if you have one, stick with that one because consistency counts when you're shooting for professionalism!
Here's an excerpt from The Screenwriter's Bible by David Trottier (I won't lie, every screenwriter (unless you're Paul Haggis) should have this. The action paragraph is unformatted.): Method 1 (The Montage Label) FLASHBACK - TRAIN ACCIDENT David sees the train coming and jumps on the train tracks. He laughs; he's playing chicken with the train. With the train nearly upon him he tries to leap from the tracks, but his foot catches on a rail tie. BACK TO PRESENT DAY Method 2 (This method draws attention to the fact that it's a flashback.) FLASHBACK - EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT Method 3 EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT - FLASHBACK or EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT (FLASHBACK) Remember... you must somehow end the flashback. So, if you use Method 2 or 3 try END OF FLASHBACK (or END FLASHBACK) flush to the right margin. In Final Draft I use Transition to get it to the right spot. Any questions, let me know! Ex.What's the difference between V.O., O.C., & O.S.? I'll try to give you a brief run down.
V.O. is Voice Over. It's narration. Use sparingly. Don't fill with too much exposition. A really good example of great V.O. use is "Stand By Me." (Love that movie!) I don't think that the movie would have been the same without it. But if you want more movies (because I can't think of all of them right now...) here's a Google search. It's always been a "sign of an inexperienced writer" to use a voiceover. I have found that's not really the case. It has to fit the show/feature. If you find yourself doing too much exposition in V.O. you may want to rethink your script. (Deadpool has the occasional V.O. but he also breaks the 4th wall (more rule breaking but it works and we'll talk about rule breaking in another topic) and it works.) Here's an unformatted example of V.O. from an original 1/2 hr comedy pilot I'm working on: INT. RAE’S ROOM - NIGHT It’s pitch black. NARRATOR (V.O.) No one starts a marriage with the intention of getting divorced. SFX - small arms fire NARRATOR (V.O.) But things happen. A beat. Life happens. SFX- a baby crying NARRATOR (V.O.) Then, one day, you wake up. MS RAE IN BED, EYES OPEN The only light is the light of the street lamp outside as it peers in through the blinds that cover the window. SFX- tone out O.C. is Off Camera. This isn't used as much in features. It may be used in TV. It all depends on the studio preference. Like it implies, the character speaking is not seen on camera. Great for phone conversations if you want to hear the other half. Example: Howard's mother in TBBT would have been O.C. as she was never seen. O.S. is Off Screen. This is typically used in features (or so I'm told, I have been working more on TV pilots & specs). Again, implication is character is speaking off screen. Example: conversation through a door and you want to hear one half but not see that person. Like maybe rom-com bride/groom scene. The person has the potential to come back on screen. It can also be used for phone calls. However, it also depends on the studio formatting. They may want all O.C.s to be used or all O.S.s to be used no matter the location of the character. V.O. = narration, never phone calls! O.C. & O.S. can be used interchangeably. Remember, if you're writing a spec TV episode as a writing sample, check the format that the studio is using. There are a lot of scripts out there (unless you're looking for DC, then don't bother. There's nada!). Formatting is important! If you still have questions, you can pop on over to Dr. Format's site and see if he has an answer to your question already. Or you can ask me. (I'm traveling today 21 July 2018, but I will get back with you as soon as I can!) A side note... I have used (at the direction of a producer) used V.O. for phone conversations, which breaks the rules I was taught. 🤨 Take that for what it's worth. I hope this helps you in your screenwriting endeavors! Do you know when to use Same or Continuous in your scene headings (aka slug lines)? No? Well here's a quick example.
INT. DIANA'S ROOM, SIERRA & JACK'S HOUSE - DAY DIANA But Dad! He's just a friend. JACK He was in your room at ten at night. DIANA So? JACK Half-naked. You are grounded. Jack turns and exits. Diana follows. INT. HALLWAY/LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS DIANA That is so unfair! Jack does an abrupt about face. His daughter slides to a stop. JACK I don't give a shit about unfair. So, use CONTINUOUS when the next scene takes place immediately following but in a different location. The preceding example was super simple and crafted on the fly. It works for going from INT. to EXT. and vice versa. Be careful not to overuse it or use it in the wrong way. If you have a scene you want to take place at the same time as another like this: INT. DIANA'S ROOM, SIERRA & JACK'S HOUSE - NIGHT The room is dark. A lump is in the bed. Bobby slips in through the window and crawls into the bed. The light CLICKS on. Bobby SCREAMS. He's facing Jack. Jack grabs Bobby and pins him in a headlock. EXT. DIANA'S ROOM, SIERRA & JACK'S HOUSE - SAME Krieger lets go of Bobby's feet. He waits. Light spills out of the window. There's a SCREAM and some SCUFFLING. Krieger slips away. Again, super simple scene. SAME is not CONTINUOUS. Great for stories like procedural cop shows. If you watch them... take a look at the "investigation" part. They split up to question and they are usually at the "same" time in different locations. Take care not to confuse the two! Let's quickly add on exiting and entering a room. It's not always advantageous to show your characters doing that. (Which cuts down on the use of CONTINUOUS.) Take a look at your script. Does the part that's CONTINUOUS move the story along? If not, fix it so you can cut down on the number of CONTINUOUS slug lines you have. I hope you've found this helpful! Fonts. They are amazing and wonderfully creative, however... only one will do when writing screenplays. Courier 12-point font. It is the default if you use Final Draft. (Which, btw, they just released FD 11 and are running a sale!) Why is Courier the chosen default? As Dr. Format (Dave Trottier) explains "It is a non-proportional font or fixed-pitch (fixed-width) font. Each character is the same with. Choose any 10 characters in this font, and they will measure one inch in width." Makes sense right? Try it out. Use a Word document and type 1234567890 in Courier. Measure, then do it in Veranda or Tahoma. Maybe even Times New Roman. What do you get?
On to paper! What? Scripts are still printed and three-hole punched. They are bound with brads. (No. 5 round-head brass fasteners, 1 1/4" in length. Acco is what I use. I have a box of them from Staples but they aren't as sturdy IMO. Why are scripts bound this way? To make it easier to put in revised pages as well as to make photocopies. (Scripts get out on the 'Net some how, right?) Why should you worry about margins, line spacing, tabs, etc.? In the event that you need to use Word or if you haven't got access to the internet or screenwriting software. Left margin 1.5" (This is the side where your holes will be punched.) Right margin 1" Tabs: Left margin at 15 spaces from the left of the page Dialogue at 25 spaces (10 spaces from the left margin. Do not extend beyond 65 spaces from the left edge. -No wider than 4 inches.) Actor's instructions (action) 31 spaces (16 spaces from the left margin.) Character's name at 37 (22 spaces from the left margin) Please note (if you like justifying your margins... Don't! leave it ragged.) Line spacing (since we're already here) A script page should contain about 54 to 55 lines. Not including the page number or the line after the page number. I do hope you found this helpful! So, you want to learn about screenwriting... It's one of the hardest parts of the business to break into. I am not kidding.
April Fitzsimmons, Air Force vet and screenwriter, said it took her 20 years from her first screenplay to break in. She was in the Writer's Guild Foundation's Veteran Writers mentorship program, then earned a spot in the ABC Writing program and got staffed on several shows before landing on the current season of Chicago P.D. (She is really nice and my weekend mentor in the same WGF program.) I got a late start at screenwriting and now I'm "over 40." What does that mean for me? It means I have to work harder and faster. I don't want to see any other talent wait 20 years either and I'm here to help you out, too. What's in it for me? Nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Null. First things first. Let's talk industry standard. I know there are "other" programs out there. Movie Magic Screenwriting is what Paul Haggis (Walker, Texas Ranger) uses, but that is not industry standard. (And we are not the great Paul Haggis!) You have Celtx. I used that when I first started because I couldn't afford the price tag on THE industry standard... Final Draft. (More on that in a minute.) Celtx was free for the desktop but now I think you have to pay a small fee for that as well. Printing from the web version put the webpage address on it, which is not professional. There's also Writer Duet. It was built by screenwriters. It's great and I've used it to collaborate with other screenwriters and to convert PDFs to FDX (the final draft file) but it still has its own set of formatting issues when converting. Fade In is another good one that's a 1/3 of the price of Final Draft. However, Final Draft is industry standard for a reason. formatting is included for a wide range of scripts and you can download new ones periodically. Sometimes software updates are available. But most of all... I have had execs say they know when the software you use is not Final Draft. For the longest time Final Draft was only available for Mac. Now, it's available for PC. It has been for years. My first copy back in 2012 was for PC and it was on CD ROM! I picked up a copy through campus e-store super cheap. I'm still paying for my Mac and my second copy... Now, here's a question. Why do you want to be a screenwriter? I will caution you if you say to make lots of money, run away right now. The current climate of Hollywood is not allowing new (baby) writers to make a seven figure (high six is pushing it) income on a script. That's from listening to producers and other writers talk as well as keeping an eye on the market. But if your answer is "to tell stories," or "to entertain people" then great! Come on along for the ride! Here's another question. Do you want to write TV (steady paycheck) or Features (if you're lucky you get a big enough payday you can live off the proceeds for a couple of years). It matters because TV is written differently from Features as far a structure. (That's for another post.) Speculative (Spec) vs. Shooting scripts - Spec scripts are what you write with the hopes of selling them. Every writer will write these until they get hired to write a project. A shooting script is different from a spec script because it now has camera angles, scene numbers, transitions, and more than likely updates to lines. I won't get into numbers for margins but I will recommend The Screenwriter's Bible by David Trottier (aka Dr. Format). I used the 5th edition in my undergrad work and the 6th in my graduate program. The 6th was updated to include cellphones, email, and TV. I still refer to this book when I have a moment and forget what the heck I'm doing. This book will clear up scene headings and how they should be written. Ex: INT. CASSIE'S ROOM, SMALL APT, WEST SIDE BROOKLYN - NIGHT Go from the smallest to the largest, always end with time of day. There are special circumstances, like if your intent is for the scene to be shot in black and white. Then it would be like this: INT. CASSIE'S ROOM, SMALL APT, WEST SIDE BROOKLYN - NIGHT - B&W I have seen some crazy things in a scene heading. It's really easy to find scripts. Drew's Script-o-Rama, Script City, TV Calling to name a few. Just be aware of Scripts v TRANscript. You can occasionally find real scripts on eBay. I had to return one because it wasn't the whole script and it wasn't even a script that was used in the show. (It was a Flash script. Those darn things are incredibly tough to get!) Take care not to overuse wrylies (aka parentheticals). Overuse could over direct the actor. If I want my character to have a specific accent, that's where I put it the very first time the character speaks, or if I want it in a specific language like Irish Gaelic. Well, let's call that a day for software and formatting! I hope this was helpful! |
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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
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