Learning Screenwriting
Screenplay: contest scams
If you’ve been around the screenwriting industry for any length of time, you will undoubtedly have seen someone run a “Pay-to-Play” contest for screenwriters. They position themselves as folks with contacts that do something with your script. They pretend to know people, pretend have magic … Continue readingScreenplay: contest scams
Screenplay: Bad Guy & Doomsday Fatigue
A very common mistake when setting out to write a new script is the unintentional use of the cliche. Today our films are odyssey’s of computer generated bad guys and doomsday endings. The audience was initially willing to trade story for spectacle, but as we … Continue readingScreenplay: Bad Guy & Doomsday Fatigue
Screenplay: Picking A Genre
Selecting a genre is one of the most overlooked decisions that new writers make. What do we mean by that? We mean that early writers will often pick a genre that is far too advanced for their skills. Genres gain difficulty the closer they get … Continue readingScreenplay: Picking A Genre
Screenplay: Action Scenes
One question we get often is how to write an action scene. One thing you should remember is how a film crew is brought together. A stunt coordinator is always on staff to craft the action fight or action scene. As a writer, we only … Continue readingScreenplay: Action Scenes
Screenplay: Gapping a Character
The “Gap” as it is known in Hollywood was pioneered by Robert McKee in his book Story. We highly recommend that anyone interested in learning how to write excellent scripts buy and read this book. We will give you the basic principles here. The Gap … Continue readingScreenplay: Gapping a Character
Screenplay: Dialog Techniques
Writing dialog for a character can be easy and enjoyable. However, it can also lead to common mistakes that can make two people sound exactly the same. We recommend that you design your characters with traits that only they have. Perhaps they come from an … Continue readingScreenplay: Dialog Techniques
Screenplay: Process
When trying to write a screenplay sometimes the most daunting obstacle can be simply determining where to begin. We at SPTG have a very disciplined process that keeps all our writers and clients on the same page. This process was honed over two decades of … Continue readingScreenplay: Process
Screenplay: Flashbacks
One area that can concern new writers is using flashbacks to tell your story. Flashbacks in themselves are not a violation in technique, but there are some things to keep in mind. What we try to avoid is over using flashbacks to complete a story. … Continue readingScreenplay: Flashbacks
Screenplay: Handling Phone Calls
One area where new writers struggle is in handling phone call scene transitions. Let’s say you have two individuals having a conversation in two different locations. Without guidance, you might think that you have to transition the camera each time an individual speaks. What we … Continue readingScreenplay: Handling Phone Calls
Screenplay: Formatting
There are always debates about how to format your screenplays. In most cases the goal is to cut down on characters to speed up the reading process. There are two areas that are considered “formatting.” Margins The first is the overall format of the script … Continue readingScreenplay: Formatting