Take some courses in film school.

Step one - write the script. This is the easiest part but the part that
stops most people.

Step two - get the script noticed by submitting it to agents, producers,
development exec's and production companies. Easy to say - difficult
to do.

Of course you understand this is a simplified answer to a very complex
question. But the most important part is to finish an excellent script. Can
you do that? when will it be finished?

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

quote:

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Originally posted by Julian San Francisco

I know this may not be the right forum. I went to acting forums and there didn't seem to be enough people on them. Anyways, so Im hoping to gather some data. I have a very good idea on what i want to write about. I want to make it into a movie. And i want to play in it. A very good example is when Sylvester Stallone wrote and played Rocky. Now I have to admit i don't have much acting experience. But all i need to know is a step by step process of what you would do if you were to attempt to write a movie and have it made. I know what to write about, i just don't know how to get it noticed and well known. Would it be possible if Could get some assistance here? Thank you.

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I HIGHLY recommend the following two resources:

www.wordplayer.com - read EVERY article there and you'll gain insight that you never would have thought to ask.

http://www.amazon.com/Film-Scriptwriting-Practical-Manual-Second/dp/0240511905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311275888&sr=8-1 - Probably the best book I've found on writing a screenplay that helps the new writer, from formatting to story structure.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

Thanks for the info. Can you reserve the right to play the main character yourself? Like in Rocky, Stallone played his self. How did he get to choose to do that?

quote:

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Originally posted by Julian San Francisco

Thanks for the info. Can you reserve the right to play the main character yourself? Like in Rocky, Stallone played his self. How did he get to choose to do that?

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Movies aren't just a creative enterprise. They are an investment opportunity for someone or many someones. As with any PRODUCT, the investors will want to do everything they can to alleviate potential risk and increase the chance of A) not losing their initial investment and B) making a profit.

So, to do that, they populate the project with as many "guaranteed" bets as possible including "proven" on-camera talent. The more money that is invested, the more the investors will NEED to put proven Actor's in the roles (which also happens to raise the budget, which in turn means even more reason to have proven assets connected to the project). The process of risk mitigation sort of feeds on itself in that way.

If an unknown/unproven Actor wishes to have the lead role, that means that the budget will be proportionally smaller too as that person doesn't have proven box-office appeal.

So, if you want your movie to get made AND for you to have the lead-role, be prepared to not attract many investors or a lot of money to complete your movie. If your story is truly amazing, then a proven Producer or studio or production company may see it and want to make it, however, they may NOT see you as the best choice for the lead role for a variety of reasons, including the financial risk.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

There are two parts you'll need to learn about writing screenplays. One is easy, the other is challenging.

The easy part is learning how to properly format the script. If your script will be (mostly or exclusively) in English, to be eventually (hopefully) produced in the United States, you will have to type it in a very precisely defined way. There are many software tools designed specifically for writing screenplays, which make it easy to write script properly formatted. The issue of proper formatting cannot be overstressed; if your script is NOT typed, printed and put together exactly the correct way (three holes punched on the left side of the paper, only two brads holding it together, printed single-sided, etc), nobody in the industry will ever bother reading it.

The second part you'll need to learn is actually how to write the script. The hard part is figuring out how to take the story you want to tell and transform it into a sequence of dialogue and moving images that will be interesting and engaging to watch. There is a lot to learn here, and if you are only going to read one book, the one recommended by Brian is likely the best. You'll need to learn how to write dialogue that sounds natural (which is not the same as writing a natural dialogue, i.e. the kind that you can hear in real life), how to match that dialogue with your character (a professor doesn't use the same words as a drug dealer), how to use action and movement to explain and your story, plus much more.

Bottom line, before you can begin writing a script, you'll need to learn a few things

quote:

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Originally posted by Julian San Francisco
...in Rocky, Stallone played his self. How did he get to choose to do that?

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He argued with, pleaded and begged the producers to take the chance. Since the budget was very small (about a million US), he was able to convince them. At the time, he already had film and TV credits as actor.

In all likelihood, you'll have to work with aspiring filmmakers in order to produce your first script, most likely with ultra-low budget, although, who knows, you just might hit the spec jackpot, if your script ends up really good (check out the story of the 'Low Dweller', where the script was written by an insurance salesman, who sold it for mid-six figures, and Leo DiCaprio and Ridley Scott got attached to it).