Putting my feet in the water next week, and I’m ecstatic! Script Frenzy, the cinematic spin-off to NaNoWriMo, has arrived to help me journey through my first ever screenplay. Adding to my fears, I have no idea how to format a screenplay.
Any other participants feeling lost and confused?
The only thing keeping my nerves at bay is the reminder that I’ve decided screenwriting is my motivation for applying to grad school. Since the decision last December, I haven’t looked at films the same. Definitely watch them out of more than mere entertainment now. I’ve taken note of details that add to visual story-telling. Camera angles/styles. Cuts between scenes and within action. Choice of dialogue (also important for novelists, mind you). The positions of actors. Methods of exposition.
A lot of those decisions happen on-set, at the hands of directors, but I consider it something to keep in the back of my mind as I approach my premiere script.
After all, being mindful of what can or can’t appear on screen is an ingredient in writing a seller script, right?
Pitch it any tips or advice! This month will be a lot less intimidating with past survivors’ wealth of knowlege.
http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/eng/howtoformatascreenplay Scroll all the way down. There is a pdf download at the bottom. It’s a short screenplay (5 pages) that shows you how to format a screenplay (and it’s kind of cute). Also, if you have Celtx (or can download Celtx) do so. It is very helpful and it makes formatting a breeze!
Thanks. Yes, I’ve got Celtx and have browsed through it a bit. Definitely will be fun to learn it on top of writing 4 pages a day >.<
It’s a very quick learn. Three days tops and you’ll have the screen play section down pat without any questions on what to do to format the next thing you need. Great program and very easy to use.