Thank you all

Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

~Devin

I know the pages will probably melt away once I remove flowery descriptions and find short-n-sweet ways to express them. I guess it’s better to have too much than too little!

How many scripts have you written (just curious), and what were the genres/topics?

Come visit my blog, if you like (http://devinbennett.wordpress.com)… I’m creating a space for aspiring scribes (like myself) to open up and exchange thoughts. So far, I’ve gotten some good responses.

Take care, and thanks! ~Devin

I’m a non-repped non-sold non-nuthing struggling wannabee just like 90% of the people out here, but I do know this much: I now ENJOY that first pass edit where I get to go at my just-completed first assembly (“vomit draft”) with a meat cleaver and a burning need to carve down the page count. If you’re coming from a creative writing background, I can all but guarantee you that your first stabs at screenwriting will be wordy and far too “novel-esque.” Read scripts– read as many as you can stomach, and pay close attention to the minimalistic descriptions you find.

And as Bill Witliff said last year at the Austin festival, “be careful about puttin’ a whole lotta stock in any advice, ‘cuz it’s all mostly bullshit anyway.” ;-) . . . wordy B

Thanks for all of the advice — wish me luck! ~Devin

I thought the same thing when I started, that the story was more important than the format. I was only half right. To take the story seriously, you have to present yourself as serious. That means proper format. Does that mean stress over it? No. If you play with the rules a bit, but still have a good script, you might get away with it. But don’t push your luck, it’s hard enough to get someone to read your script when it’s done right.

Basically this leads back to John’s seminar about being professional. Even amateurs need to be professional.

As to a minute a page, this is one of those Hollywood myths that has become folklore. But yes, if you average it all out, yes perhaps it’s close. If you script is a mix of action and thoughtful witty banter, yes, good chance. If it’s My Dinner with Andre and it’s all – you’ll be more at 30 seconds a page. If it’s all blistering action, you could be at 79 pages and have a 100 minute movie. You can use it as a very very loose rule. Phil Morton http://www.screenwriterbones.blogspot.com

Sometimes it depends on who you’re writing for. If you’re submitting to contests, 127 pages is too long. In fact, many contests won’t let you submit anything over 120. As an Austin Film Festival contest reader, I’ll put a script back on the shelf if it’s too long and let someone else trudge through it. If you have periwinkle card stock and spiral bounding, I’ll put it back because I already know you haven’t done any research and your script probably lacks effort too. If your script title eludes to it being a “vampire” script, I’ll probably put it back because I’ve already read five of them. It’s a sad reality, but yes, these are negative knocks on a script before anyone has even had a chance to read the story, no matter how good it may be.

Now if you’ve already got an “in” and can submit straight to agents and producers, then you might be able to get away with a lengthy script. I’d still stay away from the periwinkle card stock though.

Good luck with your writing!