How to Break In and Succeed as a Screenwriter
Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as
a prize-winning writer you need to master organizational skills,
take creative risks, and learn how best to present your final
product. For the aspiring screenwriter, Tom Lazarus' book,
"Secrets of Film Writing" is one of the best. An exceptional
screenwriter with five produced screenplays, Lazarus developed
this book for beginning writers enrolled in his classes at UCLA.
This article examines a few of the many techniques outlined in
"Secrets of Film Writing" and provides examples of screenwriters
who succeeded with Tom Lazarus' guidelines.
ORGANIZATION IS KEY Master organization and you're closer to
producing a stellar screenplay, not a mediocre one. Ask yourself
these questions:
1) Does the screenplay have a clear beginning, middle and end?
2) Does the story drift aimlessly or does it make its point
successfully?
These may seem like basic questions, yet many screenwriters
grapple with organizational problems.
Lazarus addresses this issue in his book; he recommends writers
use one of four organizational methods to ensure their
screenplays flow smoothly: outlines, treatments, index cards,
and scene lists. All four of these tools are equally effective.
Writers need to be discreet to decide which organizational
crutch best suits their needs.
In writing the screenplay for the Hollywood feature film
"Stigmata," Lazarus chose to use a scene list for organizational
support since he already had specific ideas about the chronology
and action details of his story. To writers who have difficult
organizing and prefer a different method, Lazarus says, "Go for
it, because no one is going to see it. It's a process. There is
no wrong way."
MAKE IT INTERESTING Writing is a process. Great screenwriters
take creative risks. Without an interesting story, even the most
organized screenplay will be unmarketable. The goal should never
be to copy another writer's style; instead exercise your own
imagination and experiment with different ways to spark your
story.
When Warner Brothers hired Tim McCanlies to adapt Ted Hughes'
famous English novel "The Iron Man" for the screen, he struggled
with whether he should remain true to Hughes' vision or develop
a new story based loosely on the original book's events.
McCanlies chose to do something risky and wildly creative; he
Americanized "The Iron Man" by setting the story in the 1950s
during the Cold War terror and renamed it "The Iron Giant." His
calculated risk proved worthwhile. American audiences related to
the film and appreciated its examination of an unusual time in
their nation's history. Also, English audiences embraced "The
Iron Giant" despite its variation from the original English text
and awarded it the 2000 BAFTA Award for best feature film.
There is a valuable lesson for aspiring writers in McCanlies'
success: when you risk nothing, you gain nothing. McCanlies,
Lazarus, and other successful screenwriters embroil themselves
in chances, write creatively, experiment with different ideas,
and raise their characters' stakes.
SUBMIT YOUR SCRIPT LIKE A PRO Once you have written an
interesting, well-organized screenplay you need to submit your
script neatly and according to studio standards. Lazarus warns
his UCLA students about several technical errors in script
presentation that annoy studio readers. Follow these guidelines:
1) A feature length screenplay should be longer than 95 pages
and shorter than 125 pages when you submit it for studio
consideration.
2) Don't include a synopsis or character biographies with your
script as it gives studio readers an excuse not to review the
whole screenplay.
3) Don't put scene numbers on your script until it is sold. This
is a rule of the game; readers find scene numbers distracting
and use them as an excuse to dub a screenplay "amateur" and
unworthy of further consideration.
4) Studio readers prefer to receive scripts bound with circular
metal brads. Using folders and binders hog office space and
interns may discard scripts unintentionally during spring
cleaning.
5) Finally, use one of the many screenwriting programs to help
format your script, such as Movie Magic Screenwriter, Final
Draft or Script Wizard. You can find discounted deals at
MasterFreelancer.com (http://www.MasterFreelancer.com),
StoryScribe.com (http://www.StoryScribe.com), and
Wizards4Word.com (http://www.wizards4word.com).
Make sure you proofread your script several times before
submitting a script for Hollywood review. Busy studio readers
will not peruse screenplays riddled with basic errors like
confusing "it's" with "its" and using "are" when you mean "our."
Use a program like Style Writer (found at
http://www.StyleWriter-USA.com) to remedy such embarrassing
grammar mistakes. When you're ready to submit your script, grab
a Hollywood Creative Directory (found at
http://www.storyscribe.com/mgbooks.html) to find markets for
your script.
THINK SUCCESS AND BE A SUCCESS Remember to take risks with plot
and character development, and follow studio standards for
script submissions. Studying resources like "Secrets of Film
Writing" by Tom Lazarus, "How Not to Write a Screenplay" by
Denny Martin Flinn, "Crafty Screenwriting" by Alex Epstein, and
"Alternative Scriptwriting" by Ken Dancyger and Jeff Rush can be
helpful for aspiring writers. Developing strong writing skills
takes time, a willingness to learn, and perseverance. Writers
who constantly improve their skills and experiment with new
ideas will succeed.