Like anything, learning the format can be difficult.

Football has rules. Baseball has rules. No kid in America over the age of 6 has to stop in the middle of a sandlot baseball game to make sure the balls and runs are correct or that the shortstop is in the right place. It's second nature.

When writers used to writing novels first encounter the screenplay format
they almost always feel it's restrictive.

After writing in the proper format for just a few hours, you will no longer
have to even think about it. No more than if a group of friends were playing
a game of baseball and you were the pitcher - you wouldn't have to stop and
remember where the pitcher stands or have to make sure you weren't using
a soccer ball.

But from everything you say here, I see much more of a novelist than a filmmaker.

I would suggest reading Robert Rodriguez's "Rebel Without a Crew"; if anything just for motivation. If you have no money, much like his situation, try going to research facilities and be a human guinea pig. Hey, it pays well. No, but seriously, anyone can make a film on a $200 budget; or so says a former professor/filmmaker. I also don't have a dime to my name...but thanks to credit cards 😀 Hell, I know that when my film gets internationally distributed, my initial investment will pay off.

Venni, Vidi, Vinsi...

Just keep in mind if you read Rebel Without a Crew that he made almost 200 small films before making El mariachi and had a lot more experience than he lets on.

And I am just wondering why do you write a movie anyway? It seems more like you are coming up with a bunch of reason why not but I haven't really heard any reasons for you to write a script. I don't want to be rude but it seems like either you are afraid to do a bad job or you just aren't motivated.

Also if you like writing stories you should try to submit short stories to American Zoetrope's magazine. They are constantly looking for short stories and other writing. Check out their home page: http://www.zoetrope.com/. And they have an annual contest for script writers and the main prize is $5,000. If you ever figure out how to get more time it might be good to help you get your script brought to the screen. Hope this helps.

Cool, RJ. I'll look for that software.

Yes, Instigator, you are right. Once I get used to the format and dedicate myself to learning all the rules, it will get easier.

Robert Rodriguez is the guy who did Planet Terror, right? Or am I thinking of another Rodriguez? Anyway, that movie was horrible, with of course a few exceptions, but I guess there is no harm in reading it, for the motivation. No, I dont wanna be a guinea pig, thanks.

Yep, you're right Weaponx, I am afraid of doing a bad job, and I do have a problem with motivation. But I also have a problem with motivation in regards to writing stories and doing other things too, so I cant let that stop me. As far as being afraid, isn't it normal for a beginner to be nervous about doing a bad job? I mean, if a newb scriptwriter just came on here with his first script and said, "Alright y'all, this script is gonna be BADASS!" everyone would just assume he is an arrogant git, and I dont want to be that guy. Plus I am halfway intelligent and I know a lot of things could go wrong. Also, my first movie would kinda be my "baby" because A) it's my first and B) it would be the story I've been developing for the past ten years or so.

Anyway, I'll check out zoetrope but most contest submissions require a "small fee" that I refuse to pay mainly because I don't have the money.

Thanks for your help, everyone.

Robert Rodriguez did Planet Terror but you are best served looking at his early work, when he was signing himself up for medical tests to have time/earn money to write his screenplay for El Mariachi. The book listed above details that plus the filming down in Mexico at a super-low budget and the hype that followed when he cut a trailer hoping to sell the thing to the Mexican video market. The book is very motivational. I reread it all the time.

RJSchwarz

quote:

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Originally posted by dren
As far as being afraid, isn't it normal for a beginner to be nervous about doing a bad job? I mean, if a newb scriptwriter just came on here with his first script and said, "Alright y'all, this script is gonna be BADASS!" everyone would just assume he is an arrogant git, and I dont want to be that guy.

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It really depends on your point of view.

I was that writer. I sent out my first script with the belief that
it was BADASS and I didn?t care what people thought of me. I
wasn?t nervous about doing a bad job. I just jumped in and did
it. No excuses.

So as a producer I admire writers who do that. And since most
working professionals in this business also jumped right in with
no excuses, I have found that most also admire writers who do
that, too.

I am much more impressed by a writer who hands me a finished, 90
page script that is horrible than by a writer who tells me that
he has great ideas but no motivation to write.

No offense intended to you, dren. But to me, a writer who writes
and thinks the script is BADASS is more impressive than a writer
who doesn?t write. But I do understand you - you don?t want to be
that guy.

You have a lot of very real, very good reasons not to write. One
of these days you will find the reasons you CAN write.

"For us Poor Folk"

I know I'm hoping on this band wagon a little late in the string of advice but I totally know what you're going through. I am a low to no-budget filmmaker. When I started, $100 to make a movie was a killer. To cut to the chase, the way I got around my financial and time issues was I went to the nearest film festival. Luckily, my city has one anually. I found out who the local filmmakers were and offered myself to them.(that sentence sounded much better in my head) I made friends and offered to be crew for their shorts. I'm a martial artist so I did fight scenes and choreography, I acted, held boom poles, picked up sandwiches, and eventually started giving my creative input in set. It took about six months then finally I said "hey, I've got a movie I want to make". These people most likely won't be "pros" so you don't need to worry about industry standards just yet. Just write yor script the best way you know how (look for this book, "The Complete Guide to Standard Script Formats: The Screenplay". It helped alot). I directed it, called on the people in the group who owned their own camers to shoot and edit it, gave roles to anyone who was willing to act, and got my movie made for nothing more than the cost of the pizzas I ordered during the shoot. It was shot in a couple weekends. Got my first two shorts made before I even owned a camera. Start with short films. Submit them to some local festivals and go from there. I hope this has been helpful. Good luck.

"Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try." - Yoda

First of all, I want to say to Shaolin, yes, you helped a lot. In fact, you may have said exactly what I needed to hear...or see. I need to find a Film Festival. But, of course, since I have NO time to do that anytime soon, it will be difficult. Speaking of which, I haven't been on for a couple weeks because I was moving, getting a transfer to a Wal-Mart closer to my mother's house, cleaning this apartment any and every day I didn't have to work, and, of course, working almost non-stop. To make things worse, I feel like a complete idiot for telling a casting agent's assistant over the phone that I probably would not be available for an acting seminar, audition, and Extra-casting because I was "just starting my new job at Wal-Mart."

Seriously, I put Wal-Mart above a potential acting career. But, like I said, I am poor, and a CERTAIN $7 an hour sounded better than a possible waste of gas money.

But I think I'd rather be lazy and try to find another scriptwriter to do the actual work. Yes, I know how that sounds. It pretty much tells you that I am not cut out for scriptwriting. But at this point, I almost don't care. I'll just give all my writing material over to some eager scriptwriter and see what he or she makes of it. Then I'll just murder the scriptwriter and take the credit.

I'm a beginning filmmaker, but am not a beginner when it comes to writing and I'm probably further along in life. I also help young people with their careers as part of my job. Please read through what I'm about to write before getting mad. 🙂

My first suggestion is that you invest what time and money you have into some skills that will carry you further than Wal-Mart. I'm not picking on the company, but as you know, it's not a lot of money and the jobs can go up and down. Go to a local community college; their job is to train you as cheaply as possible. You may even be able to find a college with a film program, but the goal here is to get a better-paying job.

Once you achieve that, you'll have a better basis for the rest of your life. If you plan correctly, you'll have both more money and more time with which to pursue filmmaking.

I agree with what everyone's posted. Like Nike says -- just do it. Don't worry about your big idea. Shelve it for later and work on other stuff. There's no need for writer's block; just push through or work on something else. Finding time to write is often a matter of priority. And get rid of the perfectionism. It will not serve you as well as you think (says a recovering perfectionist who was terrified to let go of it lest I become only average, which has not happened).

Okay, now that you're mad :-), remember it's all been said with the intent of helping you to a better future. Take the suggestions or leave them. 🙂

Excellent post, twickle.

A strong dose of realism can sometimes shake a new filmmaker into
focusing on the beginning of a career rather than the pinnacle of
a career.

dren wants full, complete control over a script he hasn?t yet
written when it goes into production. As he knows, that?s
unrealistic, but it what he wants. In my experience that shackles
most people - the get bogged down in the hope and that can take
time from the harsh reality - the reality that you need to take
the time to write the script.

We all can relate to dren?s position. We have all been there. The
difference is those that ?make it? find the time. If you need to
crawl into bed one hour later so you can writer - you gotta do
it. If you need to set the alarm one hour earlier so you can
write - you gotta do it.

Getting in to this business takes that extra sacrifice. And $7 an
hour seems better than the gamble and waste of gas money.
However, there are people who take the gamble and waste the gas
money and end up working as an extra for a few days.

dren, when you choose to stop being lazy - when you choose to make
the impossible sacrifices - when you find the few reasons why you
CAN and ignore the many reasons why you CAN?T do it....

You?ll do it.

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