The Screenwriting Blog

I attend bi-weekly meetings with a local writer's group, we chat and share ideas and it's actually pretty refreshing. Last week the conversation was about screenwriting and I have to say, they asked me questions I hadn't really thought about, and one of them was how do you begin to write a script , say you have an idea and you believe it would be a good movie, how do you start. I was quiet for a moment, how (the hell) do you start?! Well, I finally came up with something and I thought I'd share it if you too have a story to tell and don't know how to start. Hence the (very, very) basic step-by-step guide to starting a script. 1. Write your story in whatever format you prefer, be it narrative, bullets, drawings if you're good at it, a short story, whatever. Just put it on a piece of paper so that it doesn't die in your mind. 2. Outline the plot. This is where you take the story as a whole and divide it into the "moments" or parts of the story (begin...

Screenwriting is no game,  it takes time, effort, and, genuinely, courage. But what happens when all the work has been done and you've managed to type "THE END", those magical words that appear to be the finishing line, but are indeed nothing close to it? Yeap, turns out that finishing the script is only the start of a long and sometimes bumpy journey; however, screenwriters are not alone. In the world of creative writing, a figure exists that is meant to make this process easier for anyone willing to take help: The Script Consultant. A Script Consultant is a writer or editor that instead (or aside) of writing, works with other writers and pieces to improve them, be it structure, plot, character development, or plain storytelling, a Script Consultant provides a very particular insight that helps the writer refine and polish the work done. But what exactly do they do? Well, it's a combination of several things - proofreading, analyzing, suggesting, and bouncing ideas.....

Writing a complete screenplay is no easy task. It takes time, effort, tons of creativity, and its share of sweat and blood, but when you finally manage to type the last period, you know that it was all worth it. Unless nobody reads your script ever, in which case, the whole process might be quite disappointing. BUT I’m here to cheer you up! And show you that there is a light at the end of the always-pitched-but-never-produced-screenplays tunnel. When we think about writing a movie or TV show we automatically think about Netflix (whew! there was a time when we would think of the big screen or even television, but let’s face it, that is sooo two thousand and late) and it’s no mystery why, Netflix has completely revolutionized the way we watch entertainment media, creating a change of paradigm that at this point, really seems to be here to stay. This combined with the new accessibility to produce independent films along with things as, let’s say, a global pandemic has everyone who ever wo...

You’ve done the research, read a couple of articles (hopefully this one too 😊 ), asked some experts and decided to self distribute your movie, at this point you’ve probably found that there are a lot of options, from a small premiere with family and friends to seeing your movie in the top 10 of your preferred streaming service, so to help you out a bit, here are some ideas on how to get your movie to the world of online video on demand. Prime Video Direct A division of Amazon Prime, allows you to upload your own content and decide how you want to get paid for it, with a variety of Licensing options. You maintain your rights, keep creative control, and have at your disposal many marketing tools straight from the giant of online retail. Prime Video Direct also provides you with metrics and information about your viewers that will help you understand your audience and market your content properly. This is no doubt a great way to get to distribution with no middle man. Youtube/Vimeo/Own ...

This very easy (and effective) method works great for experienced and amateur writers alike since it allows you to see your structure and make modifications without spending time in writing and rewriting, it also helps to make sure that every scene contributes to the story and remove unnecessary scenes without getting rid of them completely. How does it work: Write each scene on an index card (post-its work too). You can either write (or print) the whole scene, or just headline and description. What matters is that you’re able to identify the scene by looking at the card alone. Organize the cards as they currently appear in your script. You can put them on a wall or board if you have them available but if you don’t, a table or floor will do the trick. Do some staring. Seriously, look at your cards and understand where you’re at and where you want to get. Are you getting there with the way the scenes are now? What do you need to change in order to get there? Is every scene contributing...

Even the best chefs in the world started by following a recipe, in fact, the best of them still use them every once in a while, it allows them to ensure consistency and gives them a structure to follow so that they can create and let their imagination fly.  The same thing happens with screenwriters. There is no magic formula to create a script, but there are recipes that provide guidance and direction to kickstart the passion and get you to type “the end”. Famous fellas like Blake Snyder, Robert McKee, and Syd Field, have tried hard to create and simplify these recipes with great success, taking the whole of the story and breaking it down to pieces or story beats . But what is a beat anyway? Beats are moments that move the story forward and set the course and tone to what’s going to happen next. They are simple narrative elements that bring the audience back to the story and challenge the characters that conform it. Beats are the smallest part of the story structure and exist withi...

People always say that you need to walk before you run and run before you fly. It makes, the more prepared you are to do anything, the easier and smoother the actual doing will be, and screenwriting (or any writing for that matter) is not the exception, which is why screenwriters across the industry, rely on pre-writing to succeed in the bumpy process of screenwriting. The Whats, Whos and Hows. The first thing you need to think of when preparing to write a script is, naturally, what the story is going to be about (plot), who it is about (characters) and how the story will be told ( genre ). Once we’ve defined these key elements, we can start outlining the smaller parts that will, combined, make our script. The Logline Loglines are important. They are a widely used tool in terms of production because they summarize the script, allowing busy people, like producers and executives, to know upfront if the script is something they might be interested in, before spending the time in reading a...