Comments on: Screenwriting 101 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/screenwriting-101 A ton of useful information about screenwriting. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 22:52:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Ram http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/screenwriting-101#comment-132297 Ram Sat, 17 May 2008 20:53:09 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1025#comment-132297 <p>Put polls on each article, let your readers vote on the type, value etc of each article. Let ppl know what you're doing, wait awhile, then order the articles accordingly. Much easier than thinking!</p> Put polls on each article, let your readers vote on the type, value etc of each article. Let ppl know what you’re doing, wait awhile, then order the articles accordingly. Much easier than thinking!

]]> By: Luke http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/screenwriting-101#comment-130536 Luke Sat, 10 May 2008 14:28:17 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1025#comment-130536 <p>You could also try a wiki. When I started my Production-Now blog it was mostly information about subjects, not blog posts. I then ported (read: copy->paste) all that data to a wetpaint.com wiki that I made. Now the content is search-able and I can play with the posts' layout/order.</p> <p>If you don't like wetpaint, there are other wiki generators out there... but that was the first one I heard of and it's really easy to use.</p> <p>~Luke</p> You could also try a wiki. When I started my Production-Now blog it was mostly information about subjects, not blog posts. I then ported (read: copy->paste) all that data to a wetpaint.com wiki that I made. Now the content is search-able and I can play with the posts’ layout/order.

If you don’t like wetpaint, there are other wiki generators out there… but that was the first one I heard of and it’s really easy to use.

~Luke

]]> By: Grant http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/screenwriting-101#comment-128721 Grant Thu, 01 May 2008 20:56:59 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1025#comment-128721 <p>I'd throw in an explanation that the download section contains scripts, treatments, etc. I guess I've seen that link for a while now but must have assumed that it wallpaper with your mug on it or something. It wasn't until I saw some post referring to it that I realized there was a lot of interesting stuff there.</p> I’d throw in an explanation that the download section contains scripts, treatments, etc. I guess I’ve seen that link for a while now but must have assumed that it wallpaper with your mug on it or something. It wasn’t until I saw some post referring to it that I realized there was a lot of interesting stuff there.

]]> By: Hector http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/screenwriting-101#comment-128499 Hector Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:05:37 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1025#comment-128499 <p>You welcome link suggestions John? </p> <p>How about http://www.filmschooljournal.com/</p> <p>That's my site :) ... was actually inspired by you... I too wanted to pass along what I've learned to others... even though I'm still currently a film student... never too early to pass along one's knowledge though.</p> You welcome link suggestions John?

How about http://www.filmschooljournal.com/

That’s my site :) … was actually inspired by you… I too wanted to pass along what I’ve learned to others… even though I’m still currently a film student… never too early to pass along one’s knowledge though.

]]> By: Christian Howell http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/screenwriting-101#comment-128498 Christian Howell Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:02:41 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1025#comment-128498 <p>OK. This maybe the most radical, yet most-used method for something like that. First you get a database. Then you create a table that contains all of the articles. Then you add an AJAX drop down that lets you type. As the person types, the app goes to the database and queries against what's typed. You've probably seen this with Google. Then you add an AJAX data grid that displays all returned values. Each row in the grid has a link that will open a new window or populate a different area of the page.</p> <p>Another method would be to use frames. You could have a listing of articles which display in the frame when clicked.</p> <p>I would use the DB method because you can update the DB and not change any code.</p> OK. This maybe the most radical, yet most-used method for something like that. First you get a database. Then you create a table that contains all of the articles. Then you add an AJAX drop down that lets you type. As the person types, the app goes to the database and queries against what’s typed. You’ve probably seen this with Google. Then you add an AJAX data grid that displays all returned values. Each row in the grid has a link that will open a new window or populate a different area of the page.

Another method would be to use frames. You could have a listing of articles which display in the frame when clicked.

I would use the DB method because you can update the DB and not change any code.

]]> By: Sean D. http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/screenwriting-101#comment-128464 Sean D. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:49:09 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1025#comment-128464 <p>The best example of easy to navigate archiving in a blog I have seen is the photography/lighting blog Strobist. http://strobist.blogspot.com</p> <p>Their Lighting 101 and 102 sections are extremely easy to use.</p> The best example of easy to navigate archiving in a blog I have seen is the photography/lighting blog Strobist. http://strobist.blogspot.com

Their Lighting 101 and 102 sections are extremely easy to use.

]]> By: emily blake http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/screenwriting-101#comment-128457 emily blake Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:21:15 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1025#comment-128457 <p>Not only is that awesome, but you have made excellent use of the word "lain."</p> Not only is that awesome, but you have made excellent use of the word “lain.”

]]> By: Sean Connolly http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/screenwriting-101#comment-128430 Sean Connolly Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:35:11 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1025#comment-128430 <p>John, </p> <p>This is very Web2.0 of you and I appreciate your reaching out to the audience. Similar audience-centric actions might help you semantically organize your site (taking a note from Clay Shirkey's "Semantic Web.")</p> <ol> <li><p>Use both tags and categories</p></li> <li><p>Encourage the audience to tag for you. Semantically tagging your blog would be a lot of work. Furthermore there is no guarantee that an audience member searching your site will use the same semantics when looking for something. If you allow users to tag (and bookmark) the posts for you, a plurality of emergent categories will arrive. Diehard users will help create a set of consistent labels while still allowing for an emergent 'folksonomy' of meta-data.</p></li> <li><p>Reflect all collected data back to the audience Your site should automatically collect a bunch of minutia that may encourage users to surf your site. For example, simply reflect back how often posts are 'clicked' and the audience will know which are the most popular. This is one form of popularity, and, provides an emergent navigation scheme where new users can understand where the 'Big Ideas' are. </p> <p>If you allow tagging, reflect how often a post is tagged by a specific semantic. Or, if you're looking for a specific semantic, reflect back to the audience how often the audience has tagged it so.</p></li> </ol> <p>This may sound a bit extreme for a couple of hundred posts, but these are the approaches YouTube and Amazon have used with great success. It will take more than film interns to accomplish, but if you need someone, please do not hesitate to drop me a line.</p> John,

This is very Web2.0 of you and I appreciate your reaching out to the audience. Similar audience-centric actions might help you semantically organize your site (taking a note from Clay Shirkey’s “Semantic Web.”)

  1. Use both tags and categories

  2. Encourage the audience to tag for you. Semantically tagging your blog would be a lot of work. Furthermore there is no guarantee that an audience member searching your site will use the same semantics when looking for something. If you allow users to tag (and bookmark) the posts for you, a plurality of emergent categories will arrive. Diehard users will help create a set of consistent labels while still allowing for an emergent ‘folksonomy’ of meta-data.

  3. Reflect all collected data back to the audience Your site should automatically collect a bunch of minutia that may encourage users to surf your site. For example, simply reflect back how often posts are ‘clicked’ and the audience will know which are the most popular. This is one form of popularity, and, provides an emergent navigation scheme where new users can understand where the ‘Big Ideas’ are.

    If you allow tagging, reflect how often a post is tagged by a specific semantic. Or, if you’re looking for a specific semantic, reflect back to the audience how often the audience has tagged it so.

This may sound a bit extreme for a couple of hundred posts, but these are the approaches YouTube and Amazon have used with great success. It will take more than film interns to accomplish, but if you need someone, please do not hesitate to drop me a line.

]]> By: Ray-Anne http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/screenwriting-101#comment-128375 Ray-Anne Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:33:39 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1025#comment-128375 <p>Excellent. Many thanks for taking the time out to do this.</p> Excellent. Many thanks for taking the time out to do this.

]]> By: Jake Hollywood http://johnaugust.com/archives/2008/screenwriting-101#comment-128308 Jake Hollywood Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:55:48 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/?p=1025#comment-128308 <p>I dunno John, maybe you could just have a section (since Q&A appears to be difficult a challenge for some of your readers) that simply says, "GIVE ME YOUR IDEA--don't worry if it's the stupidest thing ever--just give me the idea and I'll write your screenplay for you. You can put your name on it, I'll find you an agent, manager, and somebody to produce the damn thing. And after that I'll write your next ten screenplays as well. And I'll never take any credit or accept any money in return."</p> <p>Now, <i>that</i> would really help.</p> I dunno John, maybe you could just have a section (since Q&A appears to be difficult a challenge for some of your readers) that simply says, “GIVE ME YOUR IDEA–don’t worry if it’s the stupidest thing ever–just give me the idea and I’ll write your screenplay for you. You can put your name on it, I’ll find you an agent, manager, and somebody to produce the damn thing. And after that I’ll write your next ten screenplays as well. And I’ll never take any credit or accept any money in return.”

Now, that would really help.

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