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Filmmaking resources for indie filmmakers, including, screenwriting, financing, producing and film distribution

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Screenwriting

Screenwriting is the heavy lifting of all movie projects. The screenwriting articles at Filmmaking Stuff reveal real world tips for how to write a screenplay, how to sell a screenplay how to market your screenplay, how to get a screenwriting agent and how to write movie scripts that sell. Even if you do not live in Hollywood or have any industry connections — by reading the following screenwriting articles, you will get closer to writing awesome screenplays.

How to Be The Screenwriter Hollywood Needs

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If you want to get your script noticed in Hollywood—and your talents compensated for—then you cannot be just a ‘good’ screenwriter, you’ve gotta be great!

Before you go and pay for another screenwriting class on character development or plot points, perhaps all you need to do is simply change your perspective on what makes a screenwriter ‘great’ in the eyes of Hollywood’s decision makers.

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A Great Screenwriter ‘gets’ what Hollywood needs…

A great screenwriter delivers what the Hollywood system depends upon, not by blindly guessing or chasing trends they’ve heard from friends (or friends of friends), but rather truly knowing that:

  1. Hollywood functions as an actual movie-making system, by making and distributing films that earn more money than they cost to produce.
  2. When starting out, focus on the part of Hollywood where your work, ideas and talents are most desperately in need: Independent Hollywood (not the big studios).

Indie Hollywood isn’t on the hunt for more character dramas or indie ‘coming-of-age’ gems. It’s seeking films that have a reliable audience and a high probability of generating revenue.

Genres that are considered ‘reliable’ and ‘stable’ would be the kinds of films you see on TV:

These include, family films (with kid heroes, even better with an animal side-kick), Action films (especially ones that offer the opportunity for an aging male actor to make a comeback role), and Female-driven thrillers (the kind you see on Lifetime).

If you want proof, go check out a Redbox machine.

You’ll notice that aside from major studio titles and video games, it’s usually the above-mentioned genres getting placement (despite having no major A-list celebrity actors).

Comedies are harder to sell since their style and tone are subjective and difficult to play overseas (since the humor doesn’t always translate and dubbing is expensive!)

When writing for independent Hollywood, rather than the big studios, you must be conscious of where the money comes from. Foreign sales are as important as U.S. and Canadian placement so avoid overly heavy ‘Americanisms’ like football or Thanksgiving.

While we are on the subject, avoid dramas (they are too boring), make your lead protagonist female (woman make the ‘movie viewing’ decisions more often than men), and despite what many screenwriting books suggest, do keep your script ‘budget-oriented’.

So you want to write for the big studios and have a laundry list of solid ideas?  Great!

Save them until later…

As a serious screenwriter, you first need to sell a few scripts in the indie zone to build a strong reputation before big-studio Hollywood will pay attention.  For more examples, get on Netflix or Hulu and look for the movies you’ve never heard of (but happen to be placed next to a big Studio title. Those are the indie films you stand a solid chance of getting hired to write!)

A Great Screenwriter Follows Principles, Not Trends

There will always be a new ‘it’ genre or trend, which it seems all the Studios are following. I’m sure you’ve noticed the zombie films and reboots?

But trends come and go, some much quicker than others. But the principles stay the same.

Writing on Principle means focusing on genres that are consistently and reliably selling. In my book, Writing for the Green Light, I refer to these as ‘Gold-Mine Genre Types.’

Is FOX hell-bent on Vampires this season? Great, let them focus on that and you stick true to your reliable Family title or modestly budgeted Action film.

Is Paramount investing heavily into paranormal-themed content this summer?  Again, let them… Don’t veer off course just because the studios make a new decision…

Stick true to your reliable genres (Family, Action, and Female-Driven thrillers), and you stand a much better shot of giving indie Hollywood what it needs to stay in business.

A Great Screenwriter gets passionate about what sells!

There is nothing wrong with being passionate about content that sells!

You are no less a serious screenwriter just because you write Tween-Girl Romance movies or Family Safe Adventures rather than hard hitting dramas.

By entering the entertainment industry with a ‘business’ mindset (focused on seeing your work produced and your efforts compensated for), you will be taken more seriously by the Decision-Makers running Hollywood.

Once you’ve built a name for yourself as a reliable and steady deliverer of quality content, you will have already built that network of contacts who can take your work to the next level.

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Scott Kirkpatrick is a Los Angeles based production and distribution executive. He has managed international TV deals on major franchises including Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Digimon, and Julius Jr. Scott has also produced and directed TV series and feature films including Eye for an Eye, Muslims in America, and Roadside Massacre. Check out his book, Writing for the Green Light.

How To Write A Screenplay You Can Produce (Yourself)

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If you’re trying to figure out how to write a screenplay you can produce yourself, you’re not alone. Prior to making my own movies, I worked for a producer in NYC. And I want to take a moment and apologize for never responding to your query letters. I have no excuse for it, other than I was busy paying my dues.

At that time, most of my 12 to 14 hour days were spent fetching coffee, running errands and writing coverage on the priority material that came from agents. So given the fast paced grind of the development office, your query letter probably got put on my stack. And that stack probably ended up in a filing cabinet. And, well…

Write A Screenplay

How To Write A Screenplay You Can Produce (Yourself)

Listen. If you you want to write a screenplay, I’m going to tell you a secret. There is no better feeling in the world than the day you stop sending query letters and instead, you start producing your own work. For years and years, you have dreamed about seeing your work on the big screen. You know you’re good. So why ask for permission?

Setting out to write a screenplay that you intend to produce yourself can be a scary transition. So I want to provide you with five tactics to make your journey from Screenwriter to super-hyphenate a little easier.

  1. Have a well defined logline. Seriously. Most first time writer director types settle for a simple character driven story. But the story is always confusing. So here is the test, if you can’t explain your story with a logline, something is off. Fix the logline now. You’ll need it for your marketing later.
  2.  Everything in your screenplay costs money. So if your passion project is too expensive, write something based on locations in your neighborhood. Your true genius will come from your ability to tell a compelling story, not by how many expensive Special FX you can pack into your movie.
  3. Ice, Snow, Rain, Sun, dogs, lighting bolts and children have always been a challenge to predict. If you include any of these elements in your story, I guarantee that setups that should only take minutes will take days. Avoid these elements if possible.
  4.  As soon as you decide to produce and possibly direct your movie, hire a seasoned Production Manager to work with you. They will read your script. They will tell you that your movie is going to cost way more than you think and they will help you alter the story to meet your budget constraints. Managing the budget is their job. Respect it. Then ask your PM if they know a great 1st AD. (They will!)
  5. Hire a GREAT First Assistant Director. Not some film school kid either. Pay the money. Build a relationship. The First AD will be the general of your production. They will build off the Production Manager’s budget and schedule the movie. The 1st AD keeps the production on time.

These steps will provide you with a good starting point. Once you have your script, PM and your 1st AD, you will find that your project will start to gain momentum. Finish your feature and people will start sending you query letters. I guarantee it. And if you’d like more info about the filmmaking process, make sure you grab this filmmaker checklist.

3 Must-Haves For Your Sample TV Spec Script

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Television staff writers hold some of the most coveted (and highest paid) writing positions in Hollywood. And your first step toward ‘breaking in’ and becoming one of these elite writers begins with crafting a top-notch sample TV spec script.

In articles I’ve written about Feature-Length screenwriting, I’ve constantly remarked how Newbie writers should avoid Comedy and Drama like the plague. However when it comes to writing your Sample TV Spec Script, the exact opposite is true!  Comedy and Drama are the only two genres you should consider and all others (e.g., action, horror) should be completely avoided.

sample tv spec script

3 Must-Haves For Your Sample TV Spec Script

Must-Have #1: The Right Kind of Genre

If you want to showcase your Comedy writing skills, then you’ll need to focus on the thirty-minute episode format (either for a live-studio audience as seen in Two and Half Men, or the alternative ‘staged’ versions as seen in Louie and Girls.  If you would rather work on the dramatic side, then put your emphasis on the scripted one-hour dramas found on Network TV.

Hop online and get sample scripts from existing programs similar to yours to make sure your formatting is in sync. For example, live-studio sitcom formatting is completely different than traditional script formatting. Also TV generally requires ‘Act’ breaks for commercials.

Want to be creative and blend genres to create a ‘coming-of-age dramedy’?

Don’t do it!

Choose Comedy OR Drama and move on.

Must-Have #2:  A Ready-to-Go Portfolio

You will need a minimum of two (ideally three) sample TV spec scripts before you’re ready to present yourself to Hollywood as a TV writer.  And unlike the old days, these sample scripts should not be from existing series. You need to ‘invent’ two fully fleshed out TV series (and write one script for each).  You don’t have to write a Series Bible unless it helps you, but you might want to consider outlining 3-4 additional episodes for each series to give a sample of what a full season might look like.

You should NOT try to ‘showcase your skills’ by writing one sitcom-comedy and one hour-long drama… As a writer you must choose either Comedy OR Drama and invent two unique series from the same genre.

Won’t you get a reputation as only being a ‘comedy’ writer or ‘dramatic’ writer? 

YES!

And having that reputation is a good thing.  In TV, executives and showrunners are thinking long-running seasons with multiple episodes… Being able to remain consistent with genre type and tone will really showcase this as a strength for your writing skills.

Must-Have #3:  Proof of ‘Episodic Output’

When choosing your series ‘ideas’ don’t get too wrapped up in the beginning, middle and end story mentality. You will first need to create an overarching ‘concept’ that has the ongoing ability to generate endless story possibilities.  To do this, keep your ideas big and open-ended. For example, think Breaking Bad’s big & open concept of a cancer patient cooking and dealing meth to pay his medical bills. It is not a plotline you’re after here, but rather a ‘filter’ to keep ideas on track while offering countless ways to mishmash conflicting characters and episodic plotlines together.

Second, when it comes to your sample TV spec script, focus on fully-realized 3-dimensional characters; pay careful attention to ensure your characters are able to both augment and conflict with one another simultaneously.  Remember, its characters that drive long-running TV series; by taking these fleshed out characters and placing them into your big & open ‘concept’ filter, you will have a series capable of season-after-season of strong episodic output.

From here, you can begin pulling individual ‘segments’ from either the overarching ‘concept’ or from the individual lives of your fleshed out characters and build episodes around them—this allows each episode to have its own unique beginning, middle and end without altering the strength or direction of the entire series.

As I explain in my book, Writing for the Green Light, this ability to continually create fresh ideas from pre-existing frameworks is absolutely crucial in the landscape of TV writing (writers are constantly forced into creating new and unique ‘episodes’ for seemingly exhausted programs that have been on the air for several years).  If your Sample TV Spec Scripts can showcase this ability, your work will stand head and shoulders above the competition and get taken seriously by Agents, Executives and Key Decision-Makers.

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Scott Kirkpatrick is a Los Angeles based production and distribution executive. He has managed international TV deals on major franchises including Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Digimon, and Julius Jr. Scott has also produced and directed TV series and feature films including Eye for an Eye, Muslims in America, and Roadside Massacre. Check out his book, Writing for the Green Light.

How To Stop Rewriting And Start Filmmaking

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The importance of having an awesome screenplay can’t be overstated. Your script is the blueprint for your film. And because your movie script is so important to the success of your project, many would-be filmmakers (who also write) spend way too many years rewriting. For these creatives, the material is never good enough. But if you want to get your film produced, there comes a time when you need to stop rewriting and start filmmaking.

start filmmaking

How To Stop Rewriting And Start Filmmaking

Rewrites are essential. But if you overdo it, the process can take time and resources time that you could be using to make your film. If that sounds confusing, think about the following questions when you do a quick review of your current script.

  • Does the screenplay make sense?
  • Can you envision every single scene when you close your eyes?
  • Overall, are you happy with what you see?

If you can’t answer yes to all of these things, you may need to give your script another polish. Just keep in mind that any change you make in your screenplay will impact your schedule and budget. So it’s important that you have your script locked in and ready to go.

To help you take the pressure off constantly rewriting your script, it may behoove you to use a movie production management system on your shoot. These programs handle a huge amount of workload for you, and can do things like:

  • Let you upload your screenplay.
  • Track changes between different departments.
  • Collaborate on the film with all team members.
  • Set up a production and shooting schedule.
  • Adapt scheduling and budget on the fly when script changes occur.

LightSpeed Eps (they pay me) is a perfect example of a good movie production management system, and will help make it much easier to create a finalized script, set up your movie schedule, and stop typing and start filmmaking. With this system, you can lessen your workload.

Having a finished screenplay is great. Having a finished film is better. That means that you have to know when it’s time to stop the rewrites and start filming. And if you liked this article, you’ll my filmmaker action pack.

5 Screenwriting Secrets Every Writer Should Know

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Screenwriting is a tricky art. When I started my career, one of my first jobs was reading screenplays for a development company.

screenplay writing
Jason Brubaker Writes

At first, I thought reading screenplays was an AWESOME job.

I have to admit. I felt pretty cool leaving the NYC office each night with three to five screenplays in my bag. On the subway, I would pull out a screenplay and start reading.

My goal was to find material that would eventually become the next Sundance award winner. I lived to find something awesome. Something that would garner me a promotion and clout with the producer. Something great!

But what I read was terribly disheartening.

I read hundreds of screenplays. Some were from new screenwriters. Some were from veteran screenwriters. Some were from screenwriters who (I could only imagine) didn’t know English.

And without fail, what I found was a bunch of discombobulated stories with weak plots and unrefined characters.

I felt sick.

Most of submitted screenwriting was garbage.

(I really wish I was kidding here.)

I’m not trying to sound all high and mighty either.

I tried. I really did!

At first, I read EVERY screenplay, cover to cover. I wanted to give the writer the benefit. They worked hard. So I kept reading. I was convinced that the bad story I presently read would improve. I just needed to keep going. . . I just needed to keep reading.

But I was wrong…

The stories never improved.

After some weeks of reading CRAP screenplays, I just couldn’t do it anymore.

I started slacking. And worse, I really didn’t care.

If the screenplay didn’t grab me in the first 10 to 15 pages, I quickly thumbed through the rest of the script.

After that, my next task was to complete coverage reports for the producer. The goal of a coverage report is to either recommend or pass on the screenplay. Most of the screenplay coverage reports I wrote ended up being some variation on the following:

This writer shows some promise. But this screenplay lacks the necessary plot and character arc to grab interest. The characters all sound similar. Additionally, this story requires expensive sets, locations, seasonal conditions, animals and children. As a consequence, this screenplay necessitates a complete rewrite in order to proceed. My recommendation is to PASS at this time.

I don’t know if this sounds harsh or not. But it is a screenwriting reality.

Most producers will never read any unknown screenplay. Instead, most producers will have an assistant to do the horrible job of reading awful screenplays from terrible screenwriters.

The assistant protects the producer from reading crap screenplays.

And speaking as a former assistant, I can honestly say that many screenwriters should avoid submitting unrefined work in the first place. But this rarely happens.

screenwriting secrets

Screenwriting Is The Heavy Lifting

All of this being said, you know that great screenwriting is essential for a great movie. There is no way around this. It is the law of narrative filmmaking. Your screenplay is the blueprint for your movie. And if you are a talented up-and-coming filmmaker, you probably noticed this. The truth is, many produced movies are far from great.

Have you ever asked this question?

…How did THAT movie ever get made?

Good screenwriting question. Somehow bad screenplays STILL get made. And I think there is a reason crappy screenplays get made into crappy movies. There really is no ONE answer. And not to digress too far, but here is my theory on how mediocre writing becomes successful screenwriting:

Fact: Most screenplays are complete crap.

Opportunity: If your screenplay is even marginally better, It will SEEM like it’s TONS better than it actually is.

(Reread that again if you need to.)

So based on this premise, the unknown assistant RUNS to the producer to share his great fortune.

“I found screenwriting GOLD. Let’s make a movie!!!”

But the reality is, the screenplay is not gold. The screenplay is good, but it is not great. But compared to crap, it seems AWESOME. This is because years of reading crappy screenplays have knocked the standards pretty low.

And regardless, the bottom line is this…

You probably think you can do better.

The good news is, you’re probably right!

During my time reading screenplays, I was able to see first-hand how much garbage is floating around. If you have ANY talent as a writer, your material may get noticed. This should be good news for the screenwriting profession!

Here is a quick video on screenwriting. It may help you:

Big obvious lesson here?

Write or acquire a GREAT screenplay!

5 Screenwriting Secrets Every Writer Should Know

I am assuming you want to actually write or acquire a screenplay so you can make your movie. So I am NOT going to provide too much advice on how to “sell” your screenplay.

That being said, whether you plan on producing your own material or selling it, there are still a few factors applicable to your end-goal. The first thing you have to do is get your hands on a great script. If you’re the writer-director type of filmmaker, then starting with a blank screen may feel intimating.

If this is difficult for you, you might consider finding a writing partner and then sharing a story credit. Or you will just have to sit there until the ideas fill the screen. To help you out, here is the down and dirty screenwriting lesson for today:

1.   Get some screenplay software. Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter are the industry standard. Or you could do a Google search for “free screenwriting software.”

2.   Once you have the software, consider writing a feature script on the cheap. Think in terms of limited locations, with limited actors, with a short schedule that you can eventually shoot with limited equipment.

3.   Consider making your story edgy. Drama is hard to market. Horror and thriller and action is universal.

4.  The story should be fun with a STRONG, marketable CONCEPT. People should remember your idea.

5.   The name of the game is FUN. If you can’t have fun, you’re doing something wrong.

Putting the final polish on a screenplay is an amazing accomplishment. But just make sure you’ve created your best work. As they say, you only get one chance to make a good first impression – That same thinking applies to screenwriting.

You only get one chance to grab the attention of a potential actor or department head who may or may not decide to help you with your project. You might get some benefit from The Indie Producer’s Guide To Writing Screenplays That Sell