ER REENWRIT SC

going

HOLLYWOOD
Theres nothing like the bright lights of Hollywood. And those bright lights wouldnt be if it werent for writers dedicated to the screen. If youre drawn to the lights, heres the rundown on how to get there and what to expect once you arrive.

1.

genius idea!
outline
create characters, lay out each scene, connect the arc.

write it
using Celtx, MovieMagic, or Final Draft, crank out your dialogue.

edit (with friends)

read it yourself a thousand times, but nothing beats a cold read with friends.

copywrite
invest in a legal copywright, or send your work to yourself in a sealed and dated envelope

what to write.
short film.
generally up to 15 minutes, and 10 to 15 written pages; also called shorts. generally over 90 minutes and 75 to 120 written pages. main genres: drama, historical drama, romance, romantic comedy, comedy generally 20 minutes, and about 20 written pages. single camera: lmed with one camera, numerous cuts, no laugh track. multi camera: lmed before a studio audience with multiple cameras. generally 40 minutes, and about 40 written pages; single-camera style. based on the characters and plot of an on-air show to supplement a resume.
Story departments established at studios; writer pay increased to $35 a story. New York journalist Roy McCardell is hired to write 10, 90-second scenarios for $15 each.

2. producing it
go shopping
nd a Hollywood someone who wants to make your lm

feature film

6.

SEE IT ON THE BIG SCREEN

pitching it 5.
teaser pitch
short and sweet, about 3 minutes; include: cast, cost, marketing, similar lms.

rich aunt maye

no thanks lets meet!

utilize your assets to fund lming.

by yourself
lm it on your own and gain a low-cost following.

television sitcom

story pitch

4. wait for it...

3. sending it
query letters

hook em, a little more info: heroes, goals, con icts, turning points, conclusion.

introduce yourself and your lm with a logline*, your writing history, a thank you, and contact info.
A logline is a catchy summation of a feature lm encapsulating the theme.

one-hour drama spec script

Films are now more often written after being slated by studios for production, making it much harder for original scripts to be bought and produced. One of the most bitter WGA-West strikes over payment negotiations. Writers won in principle and payment. Hollywoods trade magazine Variety mourns the end of the spec-script market.

1900

1910

1920 1919
Samuel Goldwyn creates Eminent Authors, Inc., to shift emphasis to be on the story.

The Screen Writers Guild was established as a place for fair treatment and collaboration.

WGA-West and WGA-East go on strike for 100 days, halting TV and lm production. They fought for increased compensation for their work, including internet and other digital sales.

1959-60 1954
SWG joins the Radio Writers Guild and Television Writers Group of the Authors League to form the Writers Guild of America.

1991 1985
WGA-West strike, vote, and settlement involving payment from the sales of videocassettes which came out of the lower share producers cut.

2008 2005
Terry Rossio and Bill Marsilii sell the spec script for Deja Vu, eventually starring Denzel Washington, for a record $5 million. Woody Allen nabs his 14th Best Original Screenplay Academy Award nomination for Match Point. Allen won two previous Oscar awards for Annie Hall in 1977 and Hannah and her Sisters in 1986.

1903
Edwin S. Porter creates The Great Train Robbery, called the rst American story lm.
SOURCES: Framework, by Tom Stempel, http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/BasicS earchInput.jsp, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screenwriting

1927

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences formed, with a writers branch like the SWG.