Formatting and software
This is going to sound like a lazy question. What’s the easiest way to handle all of the tabs, centering, capitalization, and formatting required in a screenplay? I know there are a lot of programs out there that supposedly "handle" all of this for the screenwriter, but there had to have been an easier procedure twenty years ago when these programs weren’t available.
–T. Baker
Yes. It was called a typist, a script services department, or your kind-hearted mother. Because the fact is, formatting scripts has historically been a nightmare. Even computers didn’t help much. Back when I started in 1993, the best way to format a script was through homemade style sheets in Microsoft Word. Every time I finished a script, I would need to go through page by page and check to make sure dialogue wasn’t dangling off pages. It was a giant pain in the ass.
Today we live in a Golden Age for script formatting. Since GO, I’ve been using Final Draft for the Macintosh, which not only handles all the formatting details, but also keeps track of scene numbering and production changes should you be so lucky as to need them. Like all programs, it has its quirks - it can be too helpful at times - but most of my friends seem to be using Final Draft as well.
Although I haven’t experimented with them as much, Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000 and Scriptware have their fans. All three programs are available for both Mac and PC, and all three have downloadable demos. Definitely try them out.
To answer your natural follow-up questions: why are these programs so expensive, and why do they have copy-protection? Probably because there’s a limited market of screenwriters (thus the high price), and being largely broke, screenwriters tend to pirate a lot (thus the copy protection). I’m not saying it’s right or true or fair, but I understand why it is this way.
The sequence of Go
Did you originally write GO as an out-of-sequence story, or was that something you and Doug Liman changed after the script was written?
–Chris
Although there’s hardly a trace of it left in the script, the deep underlying story of GO originated from Alice in Wonderland. Even before I came to L.A., I’d been pondering ways to stage a modern Alice centered around a rave, with a white Volkwagen Rabbit to get us into the action. (The White Rabbit would ultimately become the Mazda Miata that Adam and Zack drive, and the Cheshire Cat is still there, though now he speaks telepathically to Mannie.)
Fortunately, I never wrote that script, because it would have been horrible - clever for the sake of being clever. But those Alice thoughts were still rumbling in my head when in 1994 an aspiring director friend asked me to write a script for him to direct as a short film. What I wrote was called "X," and detailed a supermarket checkout clerk’s attempt to pull of a tiny ecstacy deal at Christmas. My friend never got around to directing it, but other friends would read the script and ask questions: who was Simon, and why was he going to Vegas? What’s the deal with Adam and Zack? Are they cops or what?
I knew the answers, so two years later when I had the time, I wrote out the full version as a feature. The first section, "Ronna," is the short film script, almost verbatim. Rather than wedging all the new plot into the first section, and ruining its tension, I started the movie over twice, each time following a different set of characters. It became one story told in three parts.
Inevitably and frustratingly, GO gets compared to PULP FICTION. While I think they’re vastly different movies, the truth is, I don’t know if GO could have been made without the success of Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary’s film. While there had been plenty of non-linear movies before it (RASHOMON, MYSTERY TRAIN, NIGHT ON EARTH), none had the kind of popular acceptance PULP FICTION did. By the same token, GO wouldn’t have worked told "straight."
More on becoming a co-producer
How did you come to be a co-producer on GO?
–David Demchuk
Although Columbia Pictures ultimately released GO, they weren’t the original buyer of the script (in fact, every studio in town had passed on it, feeling the subject matter was too dark). A tiny company called Banner Entertainment read the script and wanted to make the movie, but since they didn’t have a lot of money to put up front, they offered a few things a studio normally wouldn’t.
First, they guaranteed I would be the first, last and only writer on the project. Second, they would give me the right to buy the script back if the movie hadn’t gone into production within 18 months. Finally, they would keep me on board as co-producer.
The various flavors of producer credit (executive producer, associate producer, co-producer) are tossed around a bit too easily in Hollywood, and all too often they’re given to people who don’t really deserve them, such as an actor’s mananger. In my case, I actually earned my masters degree in the film producer’s program at USC, so I was weirdly well qualified for the job.
For the first week or two, I just sat quietly in meetings, happy to be there. But ultimately I got highly involved in every aspect of the production, from hiring Doug Liman to direct it to scrambling for funds when our foreign financing fell apart (I had just made a deal with Columbia’s sister studio, Tri-Star, which is a large reason why the movie ended up there). During production, I was on-set from call to wrap, and sat in on five months of editing. It was an amazing experience.
In total, there were five producers on GO. The three "full" producers were Paul Rosenberg, who had set up the script and given me my first two jobs in the business; Mickey Liddell, who ran Banner Entertainment; and Matt Freeman, who worked with Mickey and brought him the script. The other co-producer was Paddy Cullen, who oversaw the physical production, including the budget, schedule and insurance.
Looking back, it’s hard to imagine making the movie without all those people doing their part. While GO had some unique challenges, every production needs its good cops and bad cops, peacemakers and war-bringers. A writer can go off and work by himself, but a producer needs to lead dozens of other people. It’s a very different set of skills.
Since GO, I have co-executive produced a television series, and signed on to produce a big-budget monster movie that I’m writing at Columbia. But even on projects where I’m "just" a writer, the experience of having produced is a tremendous advantage in anticipating the needs of the filmmakers.
My idea’s been stolen
Help! Everytime I think of a cool screenplay idea, and start developing a treatment, I find out later that practically the exact same idea is already in development somewhere in Hollywood! What should I do? Ditch the idea and move on, or stick with it?
–Frustrated and slightly paranoid screenwriter
Every working screenwriter I know has been in this situation, where you flip open Variety and find that Paramount has just bought a project that sounds horribly similar to yours. Just remember that you’re only reading a one sentence description, and the script itself could be completely different.
For instance, the logline might read, "The project concerns a team of scientists who must stop an ancient evil." That storyline could be describing THE RELIC, or just as easily be about GHOSTBUSTERS. And no one would say those are the same idea.
In short, my advice is not to worry about it, unless (a) you find out more details about the other project which prove it to be very similar to yours, and (b) there’s evidence that the other movie is probably going to get made. While occassionally two competing projects will get greenlit, such as ARMAGEDDON and DEEP IMPACT, or VOLCANO and DANTE’S PEAK, far more often neither project will, as happened with the multiple Janis Joplin biopics.
Just remember that a well-written script has value for a writer even if it never gets made, in terms of its ability to showcase your talent. If you have a great idea that can make a great script, don’t be afraid to write it.
Paying for notes?
I would like to get my script evaluated by a professional. How do I know who is reputable, honest and skilled at this? And how much (approx.) should it cost?
–Anonymous
In Los Angeles, it’s pretty rare for the writer to pay for notes or coverage. Usually, it’s done as a favor, either by friends who work in the industry, as part of a class, or in exchange for work done at an internship. Professional readers and story analysts are generally paid by the buyer, either a studio or production company, and spend their days reading through the material submitted for consideration.
I worked as a reader for two years when I first moved to L.A., first as an unpaid intern, then later for TriStar. It’s a good first job for any screenwriter, as you get the opportunity to read a lot of scripts, and eventually earn enough to pay rent.
There are some freelance analysts who will read and critique your work for a fee. You can find listings for them in the back of Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and the various screenwriting magazines. While I’m sure many of them are dedicated and conscientious, there are a few things I would ask to see before writing a check. First, they should show you a sample of the coverage or story notes they write. Ask yourself, if you were handed this document, would it help you write your next draft? Second, they should be able to give you some references, both in terms of writers they’ve helped and places they’ve worked. Third, you need to have some sort of contract or agreement that makes it clear that they are working for you on a one-time basis, and that you’re not signing over any rights to them. Many freelance readers are also aspiring producers, and you need to be clear what the boundaries are.
Obviously, these are the kinds of guarantees you’re looking for when you’re dealing with a complete stranger. If you’re dealing with a friend, acquaintance, or friend-of-a-friend, you’ll probably be a little more flexible in your requirements.
How much should you pay? Like eye surgery, you really don’t want to shop for the cheapest rate you can find. I could imagine it costing as little as $100, or as much as $500. Only you know how much it’s worth to you.
There’s one online service I’ve seen that does coverage and story notes, called ScriptShark. This is in no way an endorsement, because I don’t know if they’re any good. But if any reader has worked with them or any similar service, I’d love to hear about your experience, so I can pass it along in a future column.
Do i show my scripts or my short?
I have just finished my first feature APPLESEED LAKE which I wrote/directed/produced on a very low budget. I am now at the stage where I am preparing to show it to people whilst at the same time writing my follow up script. Would it help me get (writing) representation by showing agents the finished film? Or should I just stick to showing prospective agents scripts that I have written?
–Peter
If you’re interested in both writing and directing, you’ll obviously want to find an agent who handles both fields. Both your screenplay and your feature will be important at some stage.
Because of the time commitment involved, not many agents are apt to pop in a videotape to check out a low-budget movie from someone they’ve never heard of. The odds of suckage are just too high. They are, however, more likely to crack open a script. Your instincts are right.
If your film gets into some festivals, however, that can be a great way to get the process started. Say an agent sees your film and introduces herself. That’s a tremendous opportunity to talk about the scripts you’ve written and offer one to read. Most writer/directors at a film festival don’t have representation going in, and smart agents will always be looking for new talent.
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