Script writers??

M

MachinePhilby

Member
Hi guys,

Where do people look for inspiration for their scripts?

Does anyone here work from other peoples scripts? Where can I find short stories that an art school student could shoot? I'm really good on the technical side of my work, but have a lot of trouble with script development - I'm more of an adapter than writer.

I'm looking for something exciting, something that could use composite or 3d techniques (but no star trek or star wars stuff). To be honest I don't mind what genre, as I like making anything really... Length... well I'm a student so that would depend on the complexity of the script...

Can anyone help me with ideas or point me in a helpful direction? Any sites that people know of that have free short stories etc to read?

Cheers, Phil.
 
I'm in the exact same boat as you; I'm very technically-saavy, but have a hell of a time coming up with content.

What I really need to do is learn how to write scripts... because I can come up with small little situations that I want in my movies, but can never make a story from scratch... Unless we're just improving.

So I am jumping on the band wagon of your post...

Someone help us! :)
 
There are many ways you can approach a creative problem such as writing a script..

Usually you'll need to know the basics of story telling and when you get more advanced some of the normal stage direction/screen play lingo and syntax. The latter is not essential to putting on a production.

What is really imporant is to come up with a bunch of ideas. Toss those out to peers and elaborate on the ones that you don't absolutely hate.

Ideas could be a basic theme to a script, or perhaps a concept, a situation. Go crazy. A narration if you are so inclined.

As far as coming up with small scenes.. thats an excellent start. Sometimes I like to draft a few situations down, stories, but its integral that it ties into a central theme to which you can base a movie/short off of.

But as far as looking for inspiration - look around you. Are you following current events? You could make a short satire that makes commentary on the pressing issues of the time. Today alone a new york times journalist was jailed for refusing to give up a name of a source to the US government. That would make an excellent short - an world in which americans no longer have the luxury of free speech. Another piece of legislature that may pass this summer is the flag burning law - a misguided law that went before congress during the 70s and failed to pass even then... but now it gets to go infront of a republican majority senate.

Some people just don't "have it" as far as coming up with stuff; my best advice is to befriend very opinionated and educated people, perhaps writers, and try and coerce them into helping you come up with ideas or even co-writing a script with you. Or you could work with a local college drama department.
 
This may not help you, but I do some wierd stuff. LIke, sit in the cafeteria at work and listen to other people's conversations. heh! If it is remotely interesting, I try to develop and flesh out the missing parts in my head while I eat my lunch. I think up possible backstories to the people around me. That is just a "kill time" exercise that I do in public places while I wait in lines....grocery store, post office, or wherever.

Also, I think back to the most memorable moments of my own life, things that really had an impact on me, and I ask myself why this thing was so important. What made it something I would remember 30 years after the event? And then how can I make this something other people would find interesting? Exxagerate some of the more mundane circumstances to be more universal in appeal.

Just a couple of my methods.
 
How using a poem? There are a zillion of them out there old enough to be copyrightless. And, while giving you the central line of the story, they allow a lot of interpretation, sub-plots, and backstory.

Dan
 
If you want to do some compositing and 3d why not go with some type of comic book superhero theme. If you're just doing something for yourself or for class (nothing commercial) you could just use a comic for your story. If you're going to send it out to festivals or whatever, take characteristics of different superheros, blend them into one character, and come up with something of your own.

I've done a little writing (shorts) and I usually have trouble coming up with a complete story. So, if I have a scene in my head I work off it. Start with that scene and let it progress. Then fill in around it. What happened before that scene? What happens after it? Then take it from there.

Or, just start jotting down ideas for a story. Maybe you have a character in mind, so where is he? Why's he there? Where's he going? Who are the other characters and how do they relate to the main character? What does he want?

Maybe you have a location. What happened there? What's going to happen?

Maybe you have a particular genre. What are the characteristics of that genre? What's the usual story progression of the genre? What surprises can you add to the usual progression? Who are the usual characters? How can your characters differ from them and still fit into the genre? Start off with notes about stuff like this and then let it all work itself out as you go.

If you want to write - write. Just get started and let it flow. If it sucks, keep writing. If it's good, keep writing. It doesn't matter either way just keep writing. Eventually you'll have something that either sucks or is pretty decent. If it sucks go over it, figure out what's bad about it, and try to fix it. If you can't fix it, at least you got the practice. If you can fix it then you'll have a presentable script and you can jump into preproduction.

Anyway, just write and keep writing. While you're at it read other scripts, too.

Check out Drew's Script-o-rama: http://www.script-o-rama.com

You'll get an idea of how things are formatted and you might pick up some habits from the big boys.

Good luck.
 
If you want to learn how to write a script, then this is where you need to go. It's the ONLY place I send writers that ask me about the subject.

Forget about all those overpriced valuless, Dramatica and Story View...Do the research and you'll find out that those software writers aren't even writers. Simply business people.

READ THE EBOOK/MANUAL that comes with the software and you will be EXTREMELY happy with what you learn. I bought it (since it is so cheap) right away and now I have writers that submit screenplays to me complete "the four questions" form. If they can't complete the form, we won't except their script.

​
 
I'm very technically-saavy, but have a hell of a time coming up with content.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I have the opposite problem. I can learn the technical side, but it takes a lot of effort. Writing comes more naturally. One key is to just write without worrying about whether or not your material is any good. I wrote roughly 300 pages for my current screenplay, but it's only 112 pages at its current length. That means I cut roughly a third of what I'd written. Hemingway said he wrote 100 pages of **** for every 1 page that was great, and that he tried to throw out the ****. I figure if Hem has to weed through a lot of garbage to get to the good stuff, I can certainly allow myself to follow that same model.

Cheers,

Josh
 
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