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Showing posts from March, 2015

First and 10: How to open your screenplay like a pro

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How do you begin a screenplay that will make Hollywood sit up and take notice? The first consideration is what will be your opening image. The very first thing the audience sees is important in helping to set the tone and in setting expectations. If possible, the first image should be the opposite of the final image. These don't have to be literally opposite images, but if it can be delivered literally, all the better. Quick example: If your opening image is of an abandoned run-down, old estate, your closing image, after your story develops to deliver the necessary changes, might be of a fixed-up estate which looks brand new, with the protagonist and his/her family bringing life to the old place. Alternately, you may just open with a dark tone and dark imagery and end with an optimistic tone and lively imagery. If possible, you should have your protagonist appear on page one. There are some instances when you wouldn't want this, such as when you depict a murder or

When a screenplay is not a movie

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Is it a movie? That is the question writers need to ask before they begin writing a script. Boring the reader or viewer is the cardinal sin. People yawning in a movie theater is a sure sign of a movie that never should have been made. Some people think they have a great idea for a movie, but they don't develop it beyond the idea. I've read several scripts over the years that were about as exciting and entertaining as watching a tree grow. Watching a tree grow in the forest, where no one can see it, and where scripts like that are buried, hopefully forever. Many of the scripts I've read fall far short of an affirmative answer to this question. It is in the comedy genre that this occurs most often. Someone wants to write a comedy or romantic comedy screenplay, but the result is a series of comedy skits strung together to fill up the script. This is not a movie, it's a variety show. A movie requires an actual story with a beginning, middle and end. And th

Coming April 7: How to create a professional blueprint for your movie idea!

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You can learn professional-level screenwriting. My class is being held at the Meijer Branch of the Jackson District Library on Tuesday, April 7 & Tuesday, April 21. Both classes run from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. http://myjdl.com/event/screenwriting-class/2015-04-07/ A blueprint you can use for every screenplay you write!