Next Fest

Captain Pierce

Captain Pierce

Veteran
No, this is not the obligatory "What's the next Fest" post, I'll leave that for somebody else this time. :D Rather, it's some suggestions.

First off, I don't want to rap Isaac Brody here, because I know what it's like to get busy and not get to something (it only happens to me about once a day :violin: ), but I think that the promised formatting guidelines not materializing hurt things a little. I would even take things one step further for next time, and have suggestions for users of various programs on the proper way to export to .pdf and maintain proper formatting (seems pretty automatic with Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000, which is all I have experience with, but it was mentioned that Celtx can be tricky).

Secondly, and closely tied to the first, I was surprised to see that a couple of scripts that were over the page count were allowed to compete--nothing against the scripts in question or their authors, but I've been around the site long enough to know that being over the limit isn't tolerated in the film fests, so I expected it to be grounds for disqualification here as well. (And yet in a way, I'm glad it wasn't, because the scripts in question were good reads and I'm glad I didn't miss out on them. :) )

Finally, neither of those should be taken as me being anything less than grateful to Isaac, Larry_R, and anybody else on the DVXUser staff who was involved with putting this fest on. These two ScriptFests have been a great experience for me, and I sincerely hope there's a third. (And a fourth, and a fifth, and... oh, you get the idea.) Cheers to all who made this happen, and to all who entered. :beer:
 
When do we find out who beat me...sorry....won this fest.

For the next fest, (best Michael Cain accent) 'ow about a vote?
 
The orignal rules page says 'writing guidelines', and I never quite figured out exactly what that meant. Proper formatting with title page required?

I'll toss in my hat and volunteer to help put those guidelines together for the next fest - there will be a next fest?!


Things like ...

*Tiltle page
*No scene numbers
*No directing on the page - we this and we that, camera pans down ...
*Fade In and Fade Out - Several ixnayed this step and bought some space
*Page limit - enforced
*Font size - 11.5 can slip by undetected and buy the writer a few coveted lines
*Font style


Nothing Draconian to take the fun out of it (like the Olympics), just a few basics. If the writer chooses to use 15 lines for action, and use catywumpas slugs, so be it. Style and the writer's voice, not to mention story, are just as important as the beautiful page. But be prepared to get rapped for it!!

Seek balance.

a
 
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Actually, another suggestion I just thought of, but one that doesn't relate to guidelines is...

Ending voting at 11AM PST (or indeed any time :) ) on a Friday may not be the best time. How about 11PM on a Sunday night, to make way for a long (and hopefully alcohol-fueled) weekend of binging and purging--ERRRRRR, reading and voting. Yeah, that's what I meant.
 
I put this on the thread about guidelines, but it might belong here...

jamiejay said:
I can't even begin to make suggestions about formatting because I am new to script writing, but, as someone who is new, guidelines for formatting would have been very much appreciated. I'm sure people judged my script based on my formatting errors, but those errors wouldn't have been there if I had something to go on other than just six pages. So I am glad we are going to be more clear about what's expected in the future. :)

I would also like to say that, based on the comments in nearly every single thread, six pages seems to be too short. I'm not even just saying that for me. If I had to tell a story in six pages, I would find a way to do it no matter what the guidelines, but when the page limit becomes the reason why nearly every script isn't as good as it could have been, that seems easily fixable. Just a thought...
Click to expand...
 
I think the idea behind the six-page limit was to try and challenge people. (And probably also make the scripts better-suited to the film fests, under the idea that 1 page = 1 minute.) Not saying I want every fest to be six pages, but I wouldn't mind trying again sometime. :)
 
Awesome comments and I hope it becomes more clear to those of us who don't really have a clue on formating. I used Montage and just plugged in my script were it looked appropriate. So if I had more stringent rules maybe it would have come out better.
Pauly
 
I agree with the Captain that voting should end on Sunday night. I was disappointed when I realized an oversight on my part had kept me from participating in that respect. I planned on coming home Friday evening and reading them but then it was already closed up.
 
alex whitmer said:
The orignal rules page says 'writing guidelines', and I never quite figured out exactly what that meant. Proper formatting with title page required?

I'll toss in my hat and volunteer to help put those guidelines together for the next fest - there will be a next fest?!


Things like ...

*Tiltle page
*No scene numbers
*No directing on the page - we this and we that, camera pans down ...
*Fade In and Fade Out - Several ixnayed this step and bought some space
*Page limit - enforced
*Font size - 11.5 can slip by undetected and buy the writer a few coveted lines
*Font style


Nothing Draconian to take the fun out of it (like the Olympics), just a few basics. If the writer chooses to use 15 lines for action, and use catywumpas slugs, so be it. Style and the writer's voice, not to mention story, are just as important as the beautiful page. But be prepared to get rapped for it!!

Seek balance.

a
Click to expand...

Alex the fade in fade out - is fading out from my understanding. I was reading an article just a few weeks ago (Hollywood based), that few see it as a requirement anymore. Many films are forgoing it.

Agree 100% on the others.
 
I did not know that. They kinda state the obvious anyways.

I see their usefulness in the body of the script, however.

a
 
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Captain Pierce said:
I think the idea behind the six-page limit was to try and challenge people. (And probably also make the scripts better-suited to the film fests, under the idea that 1 page = 1 minute.) Not saying I want every fest to be six pages, but I wouldn't mind trying again sometime. :)
Click to expand...

I agree with you. I wouldn't mind trying six pages again either... but it did seem to be the explanation most people (self included) gave when something wasn't as clear or well-written as it could have been. That's all I was thinking.

:bath:
 
Well... I am always up for a good challenge.
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