Europe -- England -- Nottingham

Progress Reports!

Kachi — Fri, 4 Apr 2008 05:13:37 -0700

Okay troops! How are things going? Are you already ahead of schedule, or are you lagging behind and flailing merrily?

(And do you have any tips for those of us who aren't doing so well already? :D )

Europe -- England -- Nottingham

Script Frenzy Kickoff Meet

Kachi — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:40:04 -0700

I know there's still a little time to go yet before the start of Script Frenzy, and a little longer still before the first meet of the 'Season', but I thought I'd see who might be interested in coming to the kickoff. :)

Europe -- England -- Nottingham

Screenplay Outline Guide

raeble — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:35:43 -0700

Found this on the net as a pdf file thought it might be useful.

Screenplay Outline Guide
What is the basic theme?
1) Revenge
2) Survival
3) Money
4) Power
5) Glory
6) Self-Awareness
7) Love

Which of Georges Polti's 36 Dramatic Situations best describe the story?
(More the one can apply)
For more info -
http://www.wordplayer.com/archives/poltisitu.01-12.html
Polti
1) Supplication
2) Deliverance
3) Crime pursed by vengeance
4) Vengeance taken for kindred
5) Pursuit
6) Disaster
7) Falling prey to cruelty or misfortune
8) Revolt
9) Daring enterprise
10) Abduction
11) The enigma
12) Obtaining
13) Entity of kinsman
14) Rivalry of kinsman
15) Murderous adultery
16) Madness
17) Fatal imprudence
18) Involuntary crimes of love
19) Slaying of a kinsman
20) Self-sacrificing for an ideal
21) Self-sacrifice for kindred
22) All sacrificed for passion
23) Necessity of sacrificing loved ones
24) Rivalry of superior and inferior
25) Adultery
26) Crimes of love
27) Discovery of dishonor of a loved one
28) Obstacles to love
29) An enemy loved
30) Ambition
31) Conflict with a god
32) Mistaken jealousy
33) Erroneous judgment
34) Remorse
35) Recovery of a lost one
36) Loss of loved one

Will the Protagonist be likeable?
What does he\she want or need?
Will the Protagonist have an Arc?
If the Protagonist does not change, who will in the story?
What characteristics will the Protagonist have?
What are missing?
What will they learn?
1) Openness & Trust
2) Curiosity
3) Self-Knowledge
4) Self-Affirmation
5) Honesty
6) Discipline
7) Freedom
8) Creativity
9) Responsibility
10)Love
11)Family
12)Universal Concern

Who is the Antagonist?
What above characteristics will the Antagonist have?
What are they missing?
What will they learn?

Outline - Pace and Plot

Using the Page-Per-Minute rule, the following is used for a guide, not a hard- fast rule.
The focus is on the 'A Story'. The 'B Story' or subplot can be added later.
Page 1 - What is the first thing we see? Can we get an idea on what the movie is going to
be about?
Page 2 - Is there a Teaser, or something to suggest what the Theme of the story is going
to be?
Page 12 - Has the Protagonist and their quest been setup?
Page 22 - The quest begins. Are the Antagonist and the obstacles setup?
Page 24 - A false start or teaser? Reader\viewer superior position, something unknown to
Protagonist.
Page 34 - The quest hits its first big obstacle. The Protagonist learns there is no turning
back.
Page 44 - Something new is learned to help with the quest, or a new ally is found.
Page 46 - Another setback or teaser. The stakes have gotten bigger.
Page 56 - The final conflict is setup. This is what the Protagonist has been heading to.
Page 66 - Resolution. Lesson learned.
I based the above on the 1/2 hour sit-com, which is twenty-two minutes long. First two
minutes Norm walks into Cheers, a joke, and perhaps a quick look at what the episode is
going to be about. Next ten minutes sets up the story, so by twelve minutes, we know
what the story is about. At twenty-two minutes the story is resolved.
If this was a ninety minute TV movie, you would only have the 66 pages, so I think for
an outline, it helps keep the main story focused.
Marketability - Things to keep in mind when writing.

I've made a list of the best questions from Terri Rossio's, Wordplay Column, Death to
Readers.
http://www.wordplayer.com/columns/wp05.Death.to.Readers.html
Death
1) Is the concept original?
2) Imagine the trailer. Is the concept marketable?
3) Is the premise naturally intriguing -- or just average, demanding perfect execution?
4) What is the hook, the inciting incident? You've got ten pages (or ten minutes) to grab
an audience.
5) Are the parts cast-able? Does the film have roles that stars will want to play?
6) Who is the target audience?
7) Does the story deal with the most important events in the Protagonist's life?
8) Does the screenplay create questions: will he find out the truth? Did she do it? Will
they fall in love? Has a strong 'need to know' hook been built into the story?
9) Is there a goal? Is there pacing? Does it build?
10) What does the story have that the audience can't get from real life?
11) What's at stake? Life and death situations are the most dramatic. Does the concept
create the potential for the characters lives to be changed?
12) What are the obstacles? Is there a sufficient challenge for our heroes?
13) Does the story transport the audience?
14) Is the screenplay predictable? There should be surprises and reversals within the
major plot, and also within individual scenes.
15) Is there a decisive, inevitable, set- up ending that is nonetheless unexpected? (This is
not easy to do!)
16) Is it believable? Realistic?
17) Is there a strong emotion -- heart -- at the center\end of the story?
18) Is there a discernible three-act structure?
19) Are all scenes needed? No scenes off the spine, they will die on screen.
21) Screenplay descriptions should direct the reader's mind's eye, not the director's
camera. Which best describes this script , Reader's Script or Director's?
22) Every single line must either advance the plot, get a laugh, reveal a character trait, or
do a combination of two -- or in the best case, all three -- at once. Is there a lot of Dead
Dialogue?
23) Is there one scene where the emotional conflict of the main character comes to a
crisis point?
24) A character's entrance should be indicative of the character's traits. First impression
of a character is most important. Do we learn something from each introduction?
25) Lead characters must be sympathetic -- people we care about and want to root for. Do
we care for them?
26) What are the characters wants and needs? What is the lead character's dramatic need?
Needs should be strong, definite -- and clearly communicated to the audience. Are the
needs of the characters clear?
27) Character conflicts should be both internal and external. Characters should struggle
with themselves, and with others. Is there enough In\Ex conflict for the characters?
28) Distinguish characters by their speech patterns: word choice, sentence patterns;
revealed background, level of intelligence. Are the characters distinguished?
29) Characters must change. What is the character's arc?
30) Is the lead involved with the story throughout? Does he control the outcome of the
story?
31) What is the screenplay trying to say, and is it worth trying to say it? What is the
Theme?
Compiled by Chris Christenson
http://www.angelfire.com/film/kcpro/

Europe -- England -- Nottingham

Scripting soundtracks? And plots?!

Kachi — Thu, 6 Mar 2008 05:46:25 -0800

I know it's early days yet (still almost a whole month to go!) but I was curious to find out if anyone else was already planning their scripting soundtrack - that is to say, the music you'll be listening to when writing in order to "get into the mood" for your chosen setting?

...This is, of course, assuming that we have plots bubbling away already! So therein lies the next question: does anyone have their plots lined up yet?

So far I've been setting up a playlist for my sci-fi script which seems to be involving copious amounts of The Killers, Fair to Midland, My Chemical Romance and Ayumi Hamasaki. (Suggestions for good sci-fi sounding music would be appreciated, whilst I'm at it...)

Europe -- England -- Nottingham

April of all months?!

TraXy — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:40:17 -0700

I don't like the fact that they've moved it to April this year. I'm getting married on the 30th of that month, so lots of stuff to sort out, and I won't be able to write a thing from the 26th, because that's when my family are starting to come over. Moo. :( June would've been better.

On the other hand... I was working through most of November last year and still managed to write 52k words or whatever it was... so maybe it is doable. I'll just need to come up with 100 pages in 26 days instead of 30...

Europe -- England -- Nottingham

Hello. Welcome and Meet ups

raeble — Wed, 5 Mar 2008 11:53:00 -0800

Hi,

I'm raeble one of the Nottingham ML's, a veteran of scriptfrenzy. Unfortunately didn't quite manage the 20K last year. This year with a hundred page target , I don't forsee any problems... in theory anyway. My plan for this year is to split the hundred pages down into 30 pages for act one, 40 pages for act two and 30 pages for act three. It can't fail. I just need to work out what I'm writing - maybe that airplane disaster movie thing I was trying to write during nano one year before I got sidetracked by dragon porn (don't ask).

Anyway if you are still reading at this point we will be having meetings every Saturday during April in the Maltcross on St James' St. The official time is between 12 -2pm but there will be folks there from about 11am to 4pm.

We are usually seated at the big table by the (empty) upstairs bar.

Address details:
The Maltcross
16 St James's Street (off the old market square, the little alley between Lloyds TSB and the Scarborough Building Society on Angel Row )
Nottingham
NG1 6FG
http://www.maltcross.com

Meet-ups are primarily a social event. If you really feel that you can't be parted from your computer, notebook, pocket pc, etc. for a couple of hours you can attempt to write at the meetings. Not sure how successful you'll be though.

Directions from the train station written by a previous nano ML

PROSODY'S DIRECTIONS FROM THE TRAIN STATION (TM)

1) From the Train Station take the main exit to the right (past the big issue sellers).

2) Cross the Zebra crossing (where you feel real guilty because it must be a bastard to be a car round there... having to give way to all the people coming and going from the trainstation.).

3) Walk for a lil while past a few lil shops and across like a bridgey section.

4) You then reach some like double traffic lights that just look like a mess... carry on heading straight.

5) You then come to the bus station which is like a building with one whole side missing.
Attached onto the trainstation is a ramp going downwards that takes you into the shopping center. *added by raeble* (you can avoid the underpass and continue walking along the road and then cross over at the end then walk into the large building in front of you - Broadmarsh Shopping Centre. )

6) You'll be in a bit with an open cafe in the middle and then a Boots shop... keep the boots shop to your left and head out the doors you see ahead. *added by raeble* (The Argos and open cafe (Delifrance) should be on your left and TK Maxx will be on your right. You'll see the boots on the other side of the cafe on your left, close to the doors.)

7) Keep heading up this street (past Starbucks) until you see the Golden Arch's.

8) Turn to your left and head up the street that kinda hooks round to the right. Eventually you'll pass Virgin on your left and will be at a big open bit called the market square. *added by raeble*(You'll have to cross over a road I think it's Friar Lane, there is a coffee shop on the corner before you see Market Square.)

9) Stood where you are you should be able to see Yates pub opposite(ish). Walk towards it but keep to the left ... just keep that in view because opposite it is a big yellow pub.

10) If you face the big yellow pub then a building to the right there is a lil alley way.
*added by rable" The Alley way is between Lloyds bank and the Scarborough Building Society. As you look up the alley you should see cash points on the left for Lloyds.

11) Head down the Alley... the Maltcross is about half way down on your right. :)

*BOWS*
(It should take you about ten minutes to get from the station to the Maltcross.)