/swg/- Screenwriting General

>>79264310
Basically my idea is Superman the day after his greatest failure.

A major city is destroyed, thousands are dead. The world is turning against him after worshipping him for years as their greatest hero.

He has an existential crisis about the nature of his heroics. After being showered with praise and adoration for so long he's forgotten what it feels like to just do the right thing because it's the right thing to do, not because he'll be adored for it.

It's just an idea I've been kicking around for a while.

Recently I completed my first full draft of my first full original screenplay. I'm proud of it although I'm well aware it badly needs a rewrite. However I've noticed that as a slasher/horror movie, the vast majority of the action takes place during the day. I'd like to have more horror scenes set at night, but it doesn't really work because of the way I built the story. Not really a question or even much of a point to this post, just nice to talk about it and also bump for the best threads on /tv/ which always stagnate way too quick. Willing to bump with other random musings if needs be.

Fuck it will bump with something that might inspire discussion.

I'm considering rewriting my screenplay that I mentioned here >>79264706 as a novel, since it seems like it would be easy to publish a novel than it is to produce a movie. Hopefully it'd at least get my name out there and eventually I could turn the story back into a movie. Does this sound like a solid plan? Admittedly in the long run I might not get to make a film adaption but at least I can get the story out, which I'd be happy with. What say you?

>>79264310
Finishing a second draft in a few min. Next feed back session is next week. So I can work on something else this weekend.

Also I got some time to kill. If anyone wants some feedback they can find me here.
https://join.skype.com/IR718GCXNU4M

>>79264507
Injustice?

>>79264310

What are some good movies were there's 3 protagonists who all get an equal amount of focus?

Writing something like that right now but pulling it off is kinda tricky.

>>79267738
i dont know, Pulp Fiction?

Any tips on how to actually start writing shit on the page?

I've read and watched hours and hours of stuff on how to write for the screen but I find myself postponing the actual writing. I know I should just start for the sake of practice even if it's going to be shit, and that I can't learn it without actually doing it.

Any exercises I could do when I don't have fully fleshed out ideas yet? How do I incorporate writing into my daily routine? Any tips at all to start writing?

>>79267738
Iñárritu has some films like that.

>>79268041
Try writing prose first, like a synopsis. Screenplays are a very formal and rigged format (because its a blueprint/shoppinglist for production).

I feel that freely writing in prose, where I can explain emotions and thoughts is a good way to get through the story. I can just switch to first and third perspective, as long as I get the story on paper. Usually I feel more ready after that to get into a screenplay. A screenplay mostly blocks my creativity.

Sadly most people are very eager to get into the actual screenplay. Maybe they don't feel like they're actually writing if it isn't in Final Draft of celtx or whatever. But thats bullshit.

>>79265577
A novel is definitely a more surefire way of getting your work seen. Artistically speaking, however, you might want to think which medium is better for your story. Novels emphasize the internal thoughts of the characters whereas film is more a visual medium. But at a starting point I presume you simply want your work seen.

>>79267764
>>79268116

The three protags are all friends running a business together. They have their own arcs and shit but have lots of scenes together.

>>79268134
I don't have a problem with writing on different mediums. I make a lot of notes and I even consider the idea work during long walks as writing. I just can't stick with an idea and start writing it and if I were to start with prose I'd probably get stuck on the fact how my language and flow wouldn't be up to my own standards. Any smaller exercises? It seems too daunting to start writing my ideas on a plank page as prose.

>>79268296
Think of the scene, who are in it, what they're talking about, where the movie dramaturgically is at the beginning of the scene and where it will be at the end. And think of how the scene will be remembered.

Now sit down and write a description of the room, who are in it and then the rest.

>>79268211
I've one completed screenplay and two more in the works, as well as tons more ideas I'll write out eventually. The two I'm currently writing would really only work as movies, since as actual stories they're not particularly interesting. What matters for those projects is the execution on the screen. The one I've completed though I could be fairly easily reworked into a novel.

I think what I'll do is rewrite it as a script until I'm happy with it and have a "final draft" and then translate that into a novel. I'd prefer to do it as a movie, of course, but for that particular project I'd settle for a book or something.

Also, out of curiosity, how many people here want to direct their scripts? Most people seem to want to but I'm aware that some just want to tell the story and leave the visual stuff in the hands of someone else.

Wow what a blog post, this is why my script is 300 pages long.

>>79268271
Yeah, the Iñárritu films are more "something terrible happens and we follow the aftermath of the ensemble cast".

Sounds like the business can be used as a device to solve or showcase their individual arcs.

>>79264706

i believe this is a good thing

i really want to write a slasher/horror film and i play with ideas from time to time, but i never really fully commit because i start to hate what i'm working on

however there is one thing i believe in and that's that every classic horror/slasher for the most part plays on things people did/do/find safe at the time and destroy it

as far as i know, no slasher has really fucked with the concept of murders happening in broad daylight.

>>79268421
Thanks for the advice, sounds good!

>>79268434
Personally I'd first write a book and then strip it down to a screenplay but I can't really say as I have no experience.

I first thought about also directing, but as I have no formal training in either field, I'm just going to focus all my energy on screenwriting to make it as good as possible. Maybe direct a short or two.

Are short films a good way to start practicing screenwriting by the way?

>>79268296
>>79268134
Write single scene then. Take two values (part of the main theme. Like for example love/lust) and try to have a scene start on one value and end on another. Thus having conflict in the middle of the scene where the value changes over.

Then add another scene and reverse the values. D this for enough scenes and you've got a story.

If you want more input try joining the Skype.

>>79268500
Even if it's daytime you can increase tension with various elements: the score, isolate the character who is in danger and one of my favourites is when you juxtapose the character who is in mortal danger with everyday life and people seen in the immediate background. It sort of becomes a "turn around and help the character!!!" moment for the viewer. Also even if it's daytime, if the character is afraid, some of that is carried over to the viewer.

>>79268628
Thanks for the tangible advice! I already got a mental picture of a scene where a character represents the value of pacifism but has a violent past and is purposefully egged on.

>>79267738
L.A. Confidential. I wrote a script like that recently and that film is a good reference. Good luck anon.

>>79268296
Watching Aaron Sorkin shows/movies kick starts my brain but some people prefer amphetamines.

>>79268929
That sounds like two very good dramatic values. Know on what value your story starts. Know on what value your story ends. Figure out a good motoric moment (the moment that every changes, the moment that Value 1 stops being wanted and value 2 comes into play). Then juggle between those two values in every scene, and show it, don't narrate it. These things should get you started. The middle is usually the most difficult but with those values you can create a lot of interesting scenes.

I've got 2 shorts that I like and can't make for 5 months because of uni commitments
I've got a short that I need to finish editing that's unbelievably average (at least it's not bad - but it does nothing new or original. I have no idea why anyone would want to or enjoy watching it)

And I have a feature-length script that I need to write that can be produced on no-budget
So yeah...

Life's fucking great

>>79269212
Really appreciate it man. I'm taking your advice to heart.

>>79269359
No problem. Like I said before drop in the Skype some time. Because the real step is opening yourself up to feedback. Without that you won't really know if its good or not.

>>79264310
I just completed my Screenplay, it goes like this:

Chapter 1:

I saw Ryan Gosling at a grocery store in Los Angeles yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything.

Chapter 2:

He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?”

I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying.

The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.

Epilogue:

When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.

What did I mean by this?

>>79269858
I will.

>>79269910
would watch/10

So, like, what's the deal with Tyrnos and Kaito Hasegawa? Who are they and why is this spammed in threads every so often?

I mean, it wouldn't require more than like 6 people working together to force a meme and heavily influence this board's "culture" but...

Ugh.. I just want to make films!
Fuck all this money and actors shit

I just wanna kiss an actress on screen
Fuck this film shit

Bump for interest.

How long should you wait after you finish a first draft before starting to rewrite? I've heard anywhere from two weeks to six months.