Tips for Screenwriting With a Partner

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84GOP2OAKRScreenwriting is a journey which can be difficult, challenging, long and, at times, lonely. Yet, if you’re a writer, you’ve already come to terms with that. For many creatives (visual, musical or otherwise) working alone is a method born from habit, and in other instances it is a practice which allows individuals to exercise and develop a given skill, and explore it without judgment. Nevertheless, once that muscle has been worked out, sharing it with others becomes more natural, less fearful and potentially helpful.

Of course, not everyone enjoys working publicly or in partnership with others. For some, solitude allows them space to fully express an idea without distraction. Indeed many examples of amazing work have come as a result of working solo. However, the same could be said for working in partnership with someone else or a group of individuals. Take the latest Star Wars film, for example. Though the original franchise was written alone by the series creator George Lucas, the most recent film–the largest in the franchise’s history and one of the biggest movies of all time–was a collaboration between the director J.J. Abrams, long-time partner Lawrence Kasdan and Toy Story 3’s Michael Arndt. In fact, of the seven films, only 3 have been written by Lucas alone.

Like all partnerships, writing along with someone provides an opportunity for different perspectives, fresh ideas, and immediate feedback. No two people are the same, and while this may take some getting used to if working with others is a new venture, the process could be a learning experience, if nothing else. Still, it’s important to go about collaboration wisely and correctly to ensure that the attempt is not in vain.

First things first, one has to select a partner whom they trust and with whom they can be completely comfortable. The creative journey calls for an environment that allows the creator to be free. If you find yourself holding back thoughts or opinions for fear hurting your partner’s feelings or appearing a certain way, that is not the right partner for you. Find someone with whom you can be natural, which will create a situation in which each of you complement one another instead of being a hinderance.

Secondly, communicate early and often. Again, remember that no two people are the same. You may think the both of you understand the plot or certain conflicts the same way, but it’s important to check-in with the other person (a few times) to be absolutely sure. One of the worst things that can happen, especially if each you decide to work remotely, is to end up with to different movies or a conflicting one. Communication, though slightly more time consuming, should not be discounted; it makes all the difference.

Likewise, when it comes to discussing terms, everything should be expressed clearly and decided upon before the undertaking begins. Even if the partner with whom you’re working is a friend or family, every person should see the endeavor as professional; otherwise, why bother? If you’ve never created an agreement, don’t worry. The Writers Guild of America has a handy, non-intimidating one available to the public on their website.

Note that partnerships are not required nor standard for writing a screenplay. They are merely a tool for heightening creativity and the likelihood of a good story. The most important take away is to choose a partner and/or project that’s most beneficial for all involved, and to approach the process professionally but comfortably. And may the force with be with you!

5 Critical Methods To Market Your Screenplay

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Geno ScalaIn the perfect world, a great screenplay would enjoy widespread recognition based solely on its merit. Unfortunately, that simply is not the world in which we live. Hollywood leadership is almost certainly not going to start a bidding war for the rights to your script simply because you know in your heart that it is Oscar-worthy material. A great script is obviously an essential first step, but you will need so much more to achieve massive success.

The Logline

The logline is a thirty word (or shorter!) summary of the story, emphasizing the hook and most important story elements. this includes the protagonist, the antagonist, the conflict, the stakes, the general tone or genre of your work. Well-written loglines are absolutely necessary. An effective logline is able to capture the producer’s attention, leading him to request to read your script. That is the dream of every spec screenwriter.

The Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch can be slightly longer than a logline, so include some additional details. Conceptualize it as how you would describe your script in a way that does it justice, but within the timeframe of an average non-stop elevator ride. That usually means three to five lines offering necessary plot information and perhaps even touching upon potential backstories.

Pitch-On-Paper

A Pitch-on-Paper (POP) extends the minimization of your story to one page. As such, it should include a significant increase in the amount of detail and nuance you can convey, on top of an illustrative synopsis of the plot. As with both the logline and the elevator pitch, always keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to craft a document that can sufficiently intrigue a producer into reading your script.

Synopsis/Treatment

A full synopsis usually spans about three pages. A treatment can run as long as ten pages. These both provide ample opportunity to substantially expand upon story details, elaborating on both small and large conflicts, as well as things like character interrelationships or perhaps even sample dialogue. Remember that these forms do include the ending! Do not try to intrigue a producer into reading your script to find out what happens – it will only read as unprofessional and a nuisance.

A Query Letter

When contacting your producer, manager, or agent, use a query letter to entice them into requesting the script. It will include the title, the genre, and a very particular inquiry format that as formulated off the polling results of thousands of film industry professionals regarding what they prefer to see. It will definitely include as many as three strong story “hooks” and your professional biography.

What to Do to Achieve a Winning Writer’s Bio

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Image of Writing PenOf the many things that define an excellent query letter, one of the most helpful is often one of the most under-utilized – the “writer’s bio.” A writer’s bio is typically only about two or three lines long and the conclusion of the letter, and it provides you a chance to close on a strong, positive note. Essentially, you get a few short lines to brag about yourself and leave the reader with a final impression of your qualifications.

One of the first things to remember about the writer’s bio is brevity. No reader in the industry will want to read your entire life’s story. The danger is to over-share unnecessary information instead of leveraging the writer’s bio for its actual value, which is as a space to name one or two of your very best accomplishments or qualifications. These bios can even be what actually determines who does and does not end up receiving attention for a script. If all other things are held constant, a query letter with a great writer’s bio is much more likely to get a script read than a letter that lacks one. It can be very positive to learn something impressive about the person submitting the script, so share what your strengths. Good tips for an excellent writer’s bio include doing the following:

  • Touch on (preferably major) contests in which you have placed or won. This is especially true if the script that fared well is the same one your are submitting.
  • If you have already been rather successful writing within your genre, share that. If you are dramatically crossing genres, do not make the mistake of assuming just because you know how to write one style means we need to hear about it now that you are writing in a totally different space.
  • If you have been optioned, check the legality of sharing which screenplay and who optioned it. Refrain from embellishing though because this info is sure to be verified.
  • If professional success is light, then focus on your education.
  • If you lack both professional experience and formal education in writing, then use the writer’s bio as a chance to share why you wrote what you have submitted. For example, maybe you wrote a script about modern warfare because you have a military service background. That is the kind of thing that indicates very directly why your perspective and script are worth considering.

Keep these tips in mind and make sure to take time to craft an honest, positive, and impactful writer’s bio for a much more striking query letter and better success.

How to Use Wordweight to Your Advantage

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Word Weight Image“Wordweight,” as I call it, is the amount of black ink relative to the white of the page it’s printed on. When deciding how to print your work, there’s a common expression that’s a good rule of thumb to follow: “more white than black.”

When a pile of scripts lands on the desk of a reader or a producer’s assistant, it’s their job to read through the seemingly endless pile of words, providing coverage notes for the producer to look over. Those notes are what determine if the producer will take an interest in the script and decide to read it in full.

When readers approach this daunting pile, they generally decide what to read first based on genre, title, and first impression. This first impression is made by simply flipping through the pages to get a feel of the wordweight of the script.

In a normally formatted screenplay, you can have as many as 250-300 words per page. After indentations and dialogue, it will resemble more of an epic speech than an actual script. At this density, your script looks like a LOT of work to read. Chances are the person flipping through will think to themselves, “I’ll save that one for later..”

Your goal is to target 150-180 words per page. At this wordweight, the readers eyes can relax and take in the text with greater ease. Even though the word count of the entire script hasn’t changed, it will seem like a faster read, which will make it more enjoyable for the poor person who reads through these things day in and day out.

Once you’ve reformatted your script, you’ll experience the secondary benefit of this rule: a new perspective for assessing your own word economy. You’ll notice long sentences (especially those describing actions) standing out, and they can and should be simplified. With fresh eyes, you’ll be able to go back and make your script a lean, mean story machine.

After you’ve approached your scripts this way a couple of times, you’ll find all of them losing their wordweight, becoming sleeker and sexier. And hopefully, you’ll be getting more attention from the producers you’ve been dying to work with.

What to Do When You Accept a Screenwriting Gig

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Almost every writer at some point in his/her career has completed an assignment and discovered that the client can’t, or won’t, pay up. Unfortunately, sometimes this is unavoidable. There are a lot of scammers out there waiting for unsuspecting writers to take advantage of. However, there are some tips and tricks you should know to reduce your risks of getting “burned.”

  1. Where you find your gigs matters. Very few people posting on free sites like Craigslist are “serious” industry folk. These sites usually make it easy for the poster to remain anonymous or unverifiable, especially if it’s a job you work on remotely.
  2. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. A “producer” looking a 10 min script is not going to pay $2000 to have it written by someone they find off of Craigslist. Most small time producers posting on free sites are probably bankrolling the production themselves. They simply aren’t going to have the budget, and more likely than not they need someone who can work for free. Doing a couple free projects can lead to paid work down the line, but make sure you’re being realistic with yourself about the likelihood of that eventual payoff.
  3. Know what your personal and careers goals are, and go after projects that are in line with them. You have to make decisions based on more than pay. You might accept a low paying job because it’s a really cool project you have personal ties to, because you would be helping out a friend, because it will eventually lead to higher paying work, or simply because you have a few bills that needs to get paid, now. Do what’s right for you, and don’t worry about what others think.
  4. Request your agreement be put in writing. If they make up an excuse as to why they can’t, write it yourself. Send it to them and request that it be signed and returned before you begin working on the assignment.
  5. Once you have a first draft, register the screenplay under your name. If they do not pay you any portion of what they owe, “remind” the client that the screenplay is registered to you and you alone. Once the debt is settled, you can give them the registration number, and they can choose whether they want to re-register it under their own name(s).
  6. Request 50% of your payment up front. If they don’t have it now, they’re probably not going to have it later.
  7. Don’t act like everyone is out to get you. Professionals want to maintain positive relationships with all of their clients. It’s important to be cautious and prevent risks, but try not to behave like everyone is out to take advantage of you. You won’t end up building any quality relationship that way.
  8. Research your clients. Ask for their name, website, and IMDB page. If they have a number of legitimate projects under their belt, chances are they are trustworthy.
  9. Talk with other screenwriters about who they enjoy working with and who they avoid. Learn from others mistakes, and let others do the same from yours. This will save everyone time, and help you build strong relationships with your peers in the industry.
  10. Meet every requirement of your contract. That means due dates, approval of changes, etc. If you meet your end of the deal, there is nothing they can argue as to why they aren’t paying you in accordance with your contract.

For a working relationship to be a positive one, both sides have to hold up to their end of the deal. This is a basic tenet of respect and the first step in building trust. With that respect and trust, you’ll be able to leverage the relationships you form for years to come.