Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Movie Script Writing - Powerful Ways To Begin A Screenplay

Screenwriting -- Powerful Ways To Begin A Screenplay Part 2


Author:Danek S. Kaus


An interesting opening is essential for success in screenwriting.

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The first article on how to start your screenplay covered beginning with an action sequence, a day in the life of your main character and a 'real beginning,' such as the protagonist arriving at a new destination, starting a new aspect of their life or a new person coming into his or her life.

Here are three more great ways to open your screenplay:

MONTAGE - a montage is a series of brief scenes, often without dialogue, that indicate the passage of time or the state of affairs of something. For example, if your story is about a down and out baseball team, you could show a batter striking out, an outfielder dropping the ball, fans booing, a newspaper headline about the slump, and so on.

NARRATION - You might begin your screenplay with the protagonist or another character doing a voice over (V.O.) about the situation, how the main character arrived at this point in their life, etc. In the delightful 'A Christmas Story,' about a 10-year-old boy named Ralphie who campaigns to get a BB gun for Christmas, the adult version of the main character is the narrator, speaking in the past tense.

The narrator could also be simply a narrator, not a character in the movie. The narrator opening should be used sparingly, but it can work very well for some movies.

FORESHADOW - In some movies the opening scene is used to lay the groundwork for what is about to come. In 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' the first installment in the 'Lord of the Rings,' we learn about the creation of the Ring of Power and how it was used to control then subdue the great kings of the time, turning them into specters, forced to do the bidding of the dark lord. When humans recapture the ring but then lose it, memory of the ring and its evil powers is lost for thousands of years. Until it reappears in the hands of an unlikely hero, a hobbit.

Add these openings to your screenwriting bag of tricks, and you're well on your way to writing successful screenplays that sell.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/screenplay-articles/screenwriting-powerful-ways-to-begin-a-screenplay-part-2-4763716.html

About the Author

Danek S. Kaus is a produced screenwriter with two more movies in development, one of them based on a book. Several of his original screenplays have been optioned by movie production companies. He can adapt your book into a screenplay and also do a Professional Screenplay Analysis

Movie Script Writing - How To Begin A Screenplay?

Screenwriting For Authors -- How To Begin A Screenplay


Author:Danek S. Kaus


The first few pages of your screenplay are critical. Most execs, or Readers (people who want to become execs) will only give you about 10 pages to get them interested. That is why your screenplay must have a great beginning.

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Here are some of the best, time-tested screenwriting techniques to begin your story.

ACTION, ACTION, ACTION - All of the James Bond movies start with action, which might or might not be related to the main plot.

A police detective tries to arrest a pair of drug dealers. A gunfight erupts. One drug dealer is killed, the other drives off. The detective chases him in his own car, driving fast, dodging obstacles and shooting his gun. You get the picture.

A REAL BEGINNING - The hero or heroine arrives at the airport or train station in a new town. They begin their first day of work at a new company. A creepy person moves in next door. The protagonist meets someone who will be very influential - a love interest, mentor or nemesis.

A DAY IN THE LIFE - Show us the hero or heroine going about their normal routine. A single mother makes breakfast before sending the kids off to school and then going to work.

A lawyer might argue a case before a jury.

A doctor in an emergency room saves the life of a traffic accident victim. But the main plot may be about stopping a deadly epidemic. You might then choose to begin with that same doctor treating someone who has a strange, unknown disease that turns out to be related to the epidemic.

An inner-city teacher helps a disadvantaged child to learn how to read. Then we discover that she will fight an uncaring bureaucracy that wants to shut down a youth center to put in a shopping center. Or we may learn that her marriage might break up because she has given birth to a learning-disabled child.

The trick to making this opening work is not to let it get boring. Quickly give us a reason to root for the main character. Perhaps show them as an underdog in some way or introduce some conflict in their life. It can be related to the main story or not, but quickly give the reader a reason to care.

These are a few of the screenwriting techniques to get your movie off to a great start. Consider using them when you begin your next screenplay or perhaps do a rewrite on an existing one to give it a better beginning.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/screenplay-articles/screenwriting-for-authors-how-to-begin-a-screenplay-4741457.html

About the Author

Danek S. Kaus is a produced screenwriter with two more films in development, one of them based on a book. Several of his original screenplays have been optioned by movie companies. He can adapt your book into a screenplay and also do a Professional Screenplay Analysis

Screenwriting For Authors : Use Archetypes For Compelling Stories

Screenwriting For Authors -- Use Archetypes For Compelling Stories


Author:Danek S. Kaus


In your screenwriting efforts, be sure to make use of Archetypes. They are not to be confused with Stereotypes, which are one-dimensional characters we've seen in too many movies.

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Archetypes represent elements of our personalities on a deep level -- the mother, father, artist, teacher, king, etc. They've appeared in countless stories for thousands of years. They reach us on a subconscious level, which is perhaps why they have endured and still have the power to touch our emotions.

The archetype can be the skeleton upon which you build a fully-fleshed three dimensional character. Some of the common archetypes in movies and literature are: the mentor, the villain, the shape-changer, the fool, the wise old man or woman and the hero, to name a few.

Avoid the temptation to turn an archetype into a stereotype by giving them only one, very obvious, characteristic. For example, the mentor is often portrayed as a wiser, older person, such as Gandolf, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

But a mentor archetype can also be an older sibling who teaches a brother or sister how to tie their shoes, a boss on the job, a superior officer in the police department or military, a young boy on a tropical island who teaches the newcomer where to find the best fruit trees in the jungle or the customs of his people, and so on.

You can make your archetypal character richer by mixing personality traits that can seem contrary to their main role in your story or the society they live in. Shakespeare often used a Fool character for social or historical commentary, making them wiser, on that level, than the characters who believe themselves smarter than the Fool.

The Wise Old Man or Woman archetype could have a great sense of humor and tell bawdy jokes. Perhaps he or she could be a practical joker, dispensing sage advice with some exploding cigars.

For even greater depth and increased options in telling your story, you could mix and match archetypes. One of the archetypes described by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces is the Herald, who brings news or information that the Hero needs.

The Herald might also offer portents of things to come. What if you mixed the Herald with a joke telling Fool? How might that affect your story? Would it make the Hero discount the information? Or still act on it, but with wariness?

The choices you make are up to you. Use Archetypes wisely and they will enrich your screenwriting.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/screenplay-articles/screenwriting-for-authors-use-archetypes-for-compelling-stories-4738764.html

About the Author

Danek S. Kaus is a produced screenwriter with two more films in development, one of which is based on a book. Several of his original screenplays  have been optioned by film companies. He can adapt your book into a screenplay and also do a Professional Screenplay Analysis

Movie Script Writing : Avoid These Screenplay Mistakes 2

Screenwriting For Authors -- Avoid These Newbie Mistakes Part 2


Author:Danek S. Kaus


Hopefully you've had a chance to read my first article on the common mistakes that authors make in their early, and often later, attempts at screenwriting to adapt their book. If not, that's okay. Each of these articles can stand alone. So let's get started.

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NOT CAPITALIZING CHARACTER NAMES - The first time you introduce a character, their name should be ALL IN CAPS, such as JOHN SMITH. After that, use traditional capitalization.

OVERLY SPECIFIC CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS - Many newbie screenwriters try to cast their movies by introducing a character as a George Clooney or Salma Hayek type. This can make casting more difficult, especially if you can't get those actors for your movie. Instead, keep character descriptions more general, such as 'athletic, early 30's.

DIRECTING THE SCRIPT - Some beginning writers include camera angles and background songs in their scripts. DO NOT DO THIS. It looks amateurish.

LONG, COMPLEX SENTENCES - Use simple sentences in your descriptive passages so the producer does not have to pause and try to extract your meaning. It's a great way to get them to toss your script and move on to the next one.

LONG DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPHS -- Nobody likes to read long, unbroken blocks of text, especially directors and producers. Break up the description into short paragraphs. If you secretly dream of directing, using short paragraphs can be a subtle way suggesting where new shots or angles could begin, without actually stating so, according to some screenwriting coaches.

NOT INCREASING THE TENSION - Another big mistake is keeping the same level of conflict, or lack of it, throughout the script. A screenplay should have mounting tension and increasing stakes until you reach the climax, which should be the most intense scene of the entire screenplay.

BEING TOO CHATTY -- Movie dialogue is not like real-life conversation. Lose all the empty discussion, such as saying hello, asking how someone is and what they did last night, unless it somehow reveals character and advances the story. If it does not advance the story, cut it. Every action a character performs and every word they say should move the story along in some way.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/screenplay-articles/screenwriting-for-authors-avoid-these-newbie-mistakes-part-2-4318391.html

About the Author

Danek S. Kaus is a produced screenwriter with another film in development. Several of his screenplays have been optioned by movie production companies. He can help with your screenplay or adapt your book into a movie. He also offers professional script analysis and coaching.

Movie Script Writing : Avoid These Screenplay Mistakes

Screenwriting For Authors -- Avoid These Newbie Mistakes


Author:Danek S. Kaus


Screenwriting is vastly different from writing a novel or true-story book. It is a different medium and needs to be treated as such. It is a difficult form that even few authors are able to master.

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With this in mind, here are a few of common mistakes of new screenwriters. Hopefully, this article will help you to avoid them and make your script or book into a movie more enticing to Hollywood.

STARTING TOO LATE - Novels can and often do begin at a leisurely pace, with scene descriptions, character backgrounds, etc. Because screenplays generally run a maximum of 120 pages, much of it white space, a screenplay has to get moving sooner.

UNNECESSARY DESCRIPTION - Screenplay description is minimalist, just enough to tell the reader where we are and a general tone of the place. Leave the rest up to the director and/or art director.

STATING THE OBVIOUS - one tendency of newbie screenwriters is to have characters tell us what we just witnessed on the screen. For example, if we are watching a track meet and John crosses the finish line first, it is unnecessary and boring to have a character say 'John won the race.'

FORMAT - Screenplays follow a strict format. The first thing a producer or Hollywood Reader (whose job it is to read scripts for their bosses) does is check the format. If it\'s wrong, even a little, they throw away the script without further attention.

LENGTH - Feature Film scripts are usually 90 - 120 pages, though close to 100 is usually preferred. The reason is that one page of a screenplay is considered to translate into one minute of screen time. Industry execs will generally not read a script that is of improper length.

TOO MUCH DIALOGUE - One big newbie mistake is to write page after page of dialogue. Movies are primarily a visual medium. There should be a good balance of dialogue and physical action, favoring action. Action does not necessarily mean gun fights and car chases. It means the characters are doing something.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/screenplay-articles/screenwriting-for-authors-avoid-these-newbie-mistakes-4318381.html

About the Author

Danek S. Kaus is a produced screenwriter with another film in development. Several of his scripts have been optioned by movie production companies. He can help with your screenplay or adapt your book into a movie. He also offers professional script analysis

Movie Script Writing : Screenwriting Myths

Screenwriting Myths -- Don't Believe Them


Author:Danek S. Kaus


There are a lot of myths about the nature of screenwriting, most of them perpetuated by people with no experience with the processes of the movie-making industry. Here are a few that you can toss away.

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ANYBODY CAN WRITE A SCREENPLAY. Actually, screenwriting is extremely difficult. It is a form of writing that very few people who attempt it can master, even many successful novelists.

Corollary to this myth is the idea that because there are so many bad movies out there, you can write a bad screenplay and sell it.

Bad movies can be the result of several factors, not the least of which is the fact that often different writers are brought in at various stages and the fact that directors, producers and big-time actors often have a different vision for the finished film. At other times the investors, who often have no creative sensibilities, also chip in their two cents in addition to their investment.

YOU HAVE TO KNOW SOMEONE TO BREAK IN. Like any other industry, it helps if you have insider contacts. But newcomers break into screenwriting every year. Granted, it may have taken them years to develop their craft and make connections, but it can be done.

MY SCREENPLAY WILL ROCK HOLLYWOOD. Everyone in Hollywood has read a lot of screenplays. Your screenplay would have to be beyond Oscar quality to even cause a slight ripple, let alone create excitement.

FORMAT IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The first thing someone in Hollywood does when they pick up a script is look at the formatting. If it's not correct, they will immediately throw it away.

YOU SHOULD GO STRAIGHT TO THE TOP TO SELL YOUR SCRIPT. That almost never happens. Producers, directors and other players will not talk to you unless you have representation by an agent or manager.

IT'S MY SCRIPT, I SHOULD DIRECT IT. Dream on. Unless you've established yourself as a director or a producer, or as an expert in some specific aspect of film making, nobody is going to trust you to be at the helm of a multi-million dollar undertaking.

WRITERS SHOULD WRITE AND NOT BE INVOLVED IN SELLING THEIR SCRIPTS. Writers should take an active part in selling their screenplays. Screenwriting is only one part of a writer's job. It's called 'Show Business' for a reason. Writers should treat it as such.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/screenplay-articles/screenwriting-myths-dont-believe-them-4256981.html

About the Author

Danek S. Kaus is a produced screenwriter with another film in development. Several of his screenplays have been optioned by movie production companies. He can help with your screenplay or adapt your book into a movie. He also offers professional script analysis and coaching

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Writing a Comedy Movie script

Tips To Write Comedy Movie script


Author: Edmund N. Figueroa


Movies always develop from time to time. There are also many kinds of movies that you can find every day or every week or every month. They include horror, romantic, comedy romantic, comedy movies and other.

Since comedy movie can entertain most of people, it becomes the favorable be most people. When they are watching this type of movie, they will laugh. Additionally, this movie is suitable for all ages. This means that everybody can enjoy it. This is another reason why this kind of movie is favorable.

When you like a certain kind of movie, you might want to write a script. In this case, you might also expect that your script can be made into the movie. When you find that your script is played in a movie, you can earn money from this. The script that you can write is various. It includes the comedy movie script.

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However, writing the script of it is not easy. When you want to write a script of comedy movie, there are some steps to help you so that you will not find any difficulties in writing it. In this article, you will find some important steps that might be very helpful for you.

The first thing that you have to do when you want to write a script of comedy movie is thinking about the jokes for the movie. Try to find the best jokes of your own. And ensure yourself that your jokes will be able to make other people laugh.



Secondly, after finding the jokes, you can start writing your script. In this matter, make sure that the script that you are writing contain quality content. Therefore the people will be able to take the value from the movie. Furthermore, during the process of your writing, try not to watch any comedy movie. This might interference the jokes in the script that you are writing.

To motivate yourself, you can read the script from a famous writer of comedy movie. This can become your inspiration so that you will be able to keep on your writing. Another thing that important to consider when you are writing a script of comedy movie is the time to deliver the jokes in the movie. Make sure that the jokes are delivered perfectly. This means that the jokes come in the correct moment in the movie.

Finally, the last thing that you have to do is looking at the script that you have written. Ensure yourself that it is really funny and is able to entertain others. Check it for times and show it to your friends. Then you can submit your script to the company with the guidelines and wait your script played in the cinema. Happy writing!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/tips-to-write-comedy-movie-script-2671652.html

About the Author

If you like watching movies, you will find that a home theater will be very great for your home. In this case, reading articles about wireless home theatre will give you valuable information about the things that you will need in decorating it. You might also need wireless rear speaker when you want to make your movies to be played on the computer.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Movie Script Writing

Movie Script Writing Website


Hello World!

Welcome to the movie script writing website.

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In this web site you can learn and get the knowledge about movie script writing!