Great scripts to copy?

L

linter

Member
I'm a huge fan of learning through osmosis -- in this instance, the typing out of scripts from my betters (and that means just about everyone... at this point) in order to feel my way into what they do so I can (hopefully) do it myself. So far, I've done a good bit of There's Something about Mary. A little Shawshank, a fair piece of Million Dollar Baby and a few others here and there.

I'm curious, though, of those here who do the same thing, either by longhand or on the pc, what scripts have you learned the most from? And, for the most part, are you going from beginning to end or picking and choosing scenes of interest. Any other thoughts on the process?

thanks!
 
I have not actually gone through and copied any screenplay, I know quite a few writers do this and it helps them though.

I do however read a ton of screenplays and I have to say the ones that have helped me the most are ones that are of the same genre I am trying to write currently, If I am writing a drama one that has helped me alot is "Good Will Hunting" , If I am writing Action I like the "Bourne Identity".

If you are into Drama or Action those are two I recommend big time, I have learned alot from reading each of them and I imagine alot could be learned by copying them.
 
My recommendation is to pick the genre you like best and go to a website that has Oscar winning screenplays, such as Simply Scripts:

http://www.simplyscripts.com/oscar_winners.html

and STYLE COPY 10 or more of them. They're Oscar winners for a reason.

It's a fast way to learn and will save you months (and potentially years) of headaches and frustration.

or,

Check the last few pages of my thread ("Sold it..." ) in the Screenplay/Writing section of DVXuser and download the "150+ Award-Winning Screenplays" zip file that's there.

In fact here it is....

http://files.filefront.com/SCRIPTSzipzip/;13319993;/fileinfo.html

Try it, I just checked and it still works!
 
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So are you guys talking about taking a screenplay (Oscar worthy) and literally having it next to the laptop and retyping it into Movie Magic or Final Draft or whatever, to learn by copying it line by line?
 
Randall, yes, it's called Style Copying and I talked about in my thread. Novelists have known about this forever--copying the masters to learn style--but it's almost never discussed at screenwriting seminars or classes. But it should be! Here's the original post. And I recommend writing it out longhand (using pen), not re-typing it.

Back to the subject. Received a question by e-mail asking how to use (to best advantage) the produced scripts file I posted a few months ago.

As everyone else says... read as many scripts as you can. Okay, we all know that.

But, I would add one more thing.

Pick two or three dozen great screenplays and style copy them. What I mean by this is re-write them by hand--verbatim. This will help you see how the pros do it VIA YOUR OWN WRITING MECHANISM: your frontal cortex, your hand, your pen.

In 2004, after reading an article by Rob Tobin I did this exercise. I decided to make an investment in my writing career by "wasting" two months on style copying. Believe me, it works. The end result is that you take the best features of each screenwriter/script and create your own distinct style. Okay. Enough said.

And, of course, don't forget to write from theme!
 
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I do oil painting, I like classical realism. I have copied a few paintings of the old dutch masters, like Jan Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Ear Ring (below). I mention that because the logic is similar, copy the masters (screenwriters or painters!) to learn by so doing. Makes sense!

my-vermeer-GWPE-400width.jpg
 
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i believe that kyle is probably right, the best way to style copy is longhand. that said, if you hate longhand, as i do, then typing can work as well. just go slow and don't be an automaton. think, ponder, wonder in your own mind what you would do next before looking to see what the screenwriter actually did next. try to feel the rhythms as you go. pay attention to the unfolding of white space and text. stop and marvel at the mysteries of language and image as they find a place on your own screen, as if by your hand. they aren't yours, of course. but with care, you can own, to one degree or another, the process.

the other interesting thing about imitation is, if you've got any original talent yourself, the combination will be greater, or at least different than the parts; ie, A (it) + B (you) = C (something new).

anyhow, that's how i see it ...
 
Linter,

You're absolutely right. I always worry that people will just copy for the sake of copying and not think about what they're doing--fail to ponder the "whats" and the "whys" of each line. But if one ponders all the important stuff, then typing could probably be just as beneficial. All good points.

And, btw, that's an amazing painting Randall!
 
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Thank you Kyle. FWIW, when i do a painting like that it is almost zen, i think so much about the person being painted, how they were a real person, lived centuries ago, wondering what they might have been thinking, who they were, their life. Very meditative. I even have raw pigments that I mix with oil to make oil paint just like the masters. I think very carefully about all the light and shadow I am copying. I bring that up because I agree with you 110% Kyle about the hand and eye coordination and its importance-- vital for the brain connection. (oh and if you are interested, that painting is so famous a novel was written by the same title, and then that was adapted into a feature movie screenplay starring Scarlett Johansson!) (another cool movie like that is Incognito, about art, intrigue, European backdrops)

Well, I do not know if I can copy 10 screenplays, but you have inspired me to give it a shot on at least one feature screenplay, see how it goes. I think I might have to go with typed, i think my fingers would cramp up handwritten as these days everything i write is by keyboard-- which brings up an interesting notion-- perhaps these days typing is more connected to the brain than handwriting, since today we rarely write by hand?
~randall

kylekmd said:
Linter, You're absolutely right. I always worry that people will just copy for the sake of copying and not think about what they're doing--fail to ponder the "whats" and the "whys" of each line. If one does this, however, then typing could probably be just as beneficial. All good points. And, btw, that's an amazing painting Randall!
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YaBoyTopher said:
I have not actually gone through and copied any screenplay, I know quite a few writers do this and it helps them though.

I do however read a ton of screenplays and I have to say the ones that have helped me the most are ones that are of the same genre I am trying to write currently, If I am writing a drama one that has helped me alot is "Good Will Hunting" , If I am writing Action I like the "Bourne Identity".

If you are into Drama or Action those are two I recommend big time, I have learned alot from reading each of them and I imagine alot could be learned by copying them.
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I agree with this, I've never actually copied a script but reading them gives me a lot of inspiration. Especially in the same genre as what you're writing for yourself.

When I was writing my feature comedy/drama, I read (and watched) "Clerks", other Kevin Smith scripts, and "Garden State" a whole lot.

While working on my short crime/thriller I read the "Reservoir Dogs, "Pulp Fiction", "Taxi Driver" and "Goodfellas" screenplays religiously.
 
Thanks for bringing this topic up. As silly as it sounds, I have never thought to do this. Kyle, your thread was a big inspiration for me. I downloaded the scripts and have been churning through them the last few months. I had always made an effort to read screenplays, but now I make sure to read one a day, at least.

I am now also retyping the scripts. Since I am very fast at typing I have made an effort to slow myself right down and read out the words aloud, think about each line and then move on to the next. I will probably do this with handwriting as well. Cool!
 
Holy &^$% Chris, you find two hours each day to read a screenplay? You put me to shame, I am at best reading one every couple of weeks. So busy with my day job, and writing shorts, and sequencing / beat sheeting a couple of features. I commend you for such discipline, you motivate me to do more reading of scripts.
 
Very good method that I have never even heard of until now. I am going to give it a try as I can see how it is very useful. I just purchased a few boos as well on screenwriting but doing both can't hurt, just need to find some time is all. Thanks for sharing.
 
Haha, Randall,

Believe me fitting in the time is tough work with all the other stuff I have going on. Some weeks I only fit in a few screenplays but other times I make sure to try and get one a day done, even if it's at 1am. :S I also am trying to fit in time each week to study films, directing, and then of course work on my own material as well as write music, go to uni, and teach at my part time job.

Good luck to everyone!
 
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