The Screenwriting Blog

Substance over form. Many people (especially accountants) will agree with this statement and generally, I would too, however, when it comes to screenwriting, there is a very specific format that we need to use, a format used in the film industry that allows all production departments to understand and use the script for what it is: a tool for making a movie. The screenwriting standard format is not hard to understand or follow and different software options do it all for you 1. Font and Sizes The standard format calls for the font Courier in 12 points. A page of writing in the proper format will equal about a minute of screen time, so for a 90-minute film, your script should be around 90 pages long. 2. Scene heading Where and when are we. Comes at the beginning of every scene, also marking the end of the previous one, it indicates if it’s an interior or exterior scene (INT. / EXT.), the place it’s set in, and whether it’s day or night, and it looks like this: It is very important that ...

As I mentioned before , writing a script requires a very specific format, in order for it to comply with industry standards and for the different production departments to understand it. This format can be created in almost any word processor, however, there are certain specific software options that do the formatting for you, allowing you to focus on the writing and giving you one less thing to worry about. Let’s take a look at some of them. Different software options cater to different needs, think of what your project needs when choosing the best for you. Celtx My personal favorite. Celtx is a web-based application with a free and a pro, paid version. While the free version is great for writing, the paid version offers a number of features for project management, such as budgeting, scheduling, and storyboard creation. Prices vary from 7 to 22 USD a month, depending on features and the number of projects you can create, they also offer special prices for companies and schools. Celtx ...

Stories are about characters. Whether it is animals that represent morals, like in the good old fables or multi-dimensional, colorful, fascinating people, characters make stories come true. So when we write for film and TV, we need to be careful and respectful of them in order to create real, engaging characters that our audience can relate to. Achieving good character development takes time and practice, but here are some things to get you started.   1.      Creating solid backgrounds We all have a background, like it or not. There are things from our past, our families, culture, and personalities that define us and the way we act and react to situations, and fictional characters should do too. The difference is, it is you as the writer who gets to create them. Deciding what features of the character to create or focus on depends on every writer. Some prefer to simply outline the character’s background and their most important personality traits. The...

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 ...