Need Screenwriting Advice From Experienced Screenwriters, Directors, & Producers

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eddie777

Member
I pitched four movie ideas to a famous executive movie producer about four months ago and he emailed me about 2 weeks ago stating that he liked 3 of my ideas and to send him the script ASAP. He liked one of them more than the other two. I am hoping to direct or at least co-direct these movies, so my question to you is: should I send him a spec script or a shooting script? I want to show passage of time between some scenes. What is the best way to show this with out it all looking amateuristic? I was thinking of showing the changes in seasons, weather, and holidays. I can also show this through transitions such as dissolve to, fade in and fade out, cross fade, and cross dissolve. Which would be the best way to show a passage of time between scenes? I also condenses a couple of scene into sequences (montages) to show certain related events that have no dialogue or little dialogue. Since I have never written sequences or seen them in a script before... what is the right screenplay format to write them in. The way I did it was that I condensed all of the scenes into one major scene would dessolve to between theses "mini" scenes to show passage of time between mini scenes. Now I got a little carried away writing and now I have 79 scenes, but some of them don't have any dialogue in them. Do you think that with all of these scene counts I can keep the screenplay under 2:30 hours or should I scale the scenes back to 56 scenes?
I would really appreciate any and all advice you would be willing to give me. Also If anyone knows of any good scriptdoctors in the NYC area I would really appreciate it if you point me in the right direction because I really don't want to hand this in without a professional looking at it first.
Thanks,
Eddie
 
Is your script registered with the library of congress and the WGA?
Are you an unsolicited freelancer or do you have an agent?
Do you have a lawyer?

I can't imagine an unsolicited script being picked up. Basically you need to get a lawyer to help you iron out a deal and figure out if this is legit or not. By the way it sounds - it isn't.

Register the scripts before sending them anywhere.
 
I would not send him the shooting script. Since he has never seen the scripts send him the specs first. There will be plenty of time (years) before you get to the point of shooting and plenty of time to tell the producer you want to direct. There will be many rewrites, etc. so send in the best reading script you have. Cut out all camera direction, etc. Simply write your time-passages the way you would see the scenes on the screen. Whether you use a montage or seasons changing or whatever...make it a quick read. If he is a famous executive he has read a ton of scripts. I will be glad to read your material and doctor it up for you. Here is how I work. If you like what I add then you can pay me whatever it's worth. If it's not worth your time then you don't pay me. That is how i guarantee my work. I will get as detailed as you want. email me at curtis@filmschoolnow.com
 
I would send just the original spec. But I would've written the thing first then emailed him a query...

... that's just me.

EJ
 
Thanks for your advice. If you don't mind I would like to ask you a couple of more questions relating to screenwriting.
what are the minimum and maximum number of conflict and/or obsticales allowed per script? The reason that I ask is because in the beginning of the movie the antagonist causes my protagonist alot conflicts and throws obsticals in her way then in the later part of the movie the protagonists turns the table on my antagonist and causes him conflicts and throws stumbling blocks at him. I feel that I got a little bit to carried away in this department. Can I condense several scene that takes place through out the day in one location, but some of the scenes take place in different rooms of the location? As far as montage goes I want to show several scenes that have to do with a theme, but have little to no dialgue nor are they important enough by themselves to merit their own individual scene, for instance I have 2 montages in my screenplay that I call the honeymoon phase montage and the calm before the storm montage where the couple are seen through out the montage happy and having a good time during the span of a couple of weeks or months. Would this look professional in a screenplay or should I give each of these scenes it's own individual scene? I have a couple of implied sexual situation scenes20in my movie that might blur the r - nc 17 rating or the nc 17 - x rating, for example I have a scene where oral sex is implied, another scene of voyerisum, nudity, sex scenes, and scene where one of the characters implies arousal by the smell of another character's genitals. What I want to know is how much can I get away with before I cross the r rating or nc 17 rating? I would like this movie to be commercial, so I would like to keep with in the r rating.
I would appreciate your help and advice in this matter.
Thanks,
Eddie
 
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