John August

John

What belongs on a title page?

Formatting, QandA

questionmarkI have a spec script I would like to send to some producers. I have read conflicting information online as to what should be included. For those of us who don’t have an agent, definitely include an address and a phone number. But what about an email? And WGA registration information? A copyright notice?

I read that it looks amateurish to put WGA information on the title page. If not there, where would it go? Thanks!

— Mike
Fargo, ND

You never need to put WGA registration numbers on the title page (or anywhere else on the script). And while legally it could be helpful to include a copyright notice, no one ever does this.

Check through any of the .pdfs in the Library, and you’ll see that title pages are kept minimal: the name of the script, your name, based on (if any), and the date. ((It’s common practice to bump the dates on spec scripts up so that they don’t appear “old.”))

If it’s truly a spec script — and you’re not sure who will ultimately be reading it — then add contact information in the bottom-left corner. To me, an email address is plenty, but add a phone number if you like.

I don’t see the point of including a street or postal address. Are you expecting guests or flowers?

There has traditionally been a bias against phone numbers outside LA’s traditional 213, 323 and 818 area codes. I think that’s fading as people hold onto cell phones and Google Voice numbers. But I’ll always harbor doubts about anyone with a Hotmail, AOL or RoadRunner address.

If you have an embarrassing email address, get something staid and boring at Gmail.

Discover the basics of title page formatting here!

Notes on the DV Expo

Geek Alert, Indie, Video

Matt and I visited the [DV Expo in Pasadena](http://dvexpo.com/) this afternoon. We didn’t sit in on any sessions, but spoke to a number of vendors on the main floor, mostly scouting out rigs and rental houses that might make sense for a microbudget feature Matt’s planning to make.

Overall, this was a smaller shindig than when I visited a few years ago, when it was held at the LA Convention Center. Back then, a lot of hubbub surrounded Panasonic’s HVX-200 and the transition to a tapeless workflow. The 2010 equivalents are the HD-DSLRs such as the 5D and 7D, still-format cameras which provide an amazing video image but a lot of trade-offs given their shape.

At least a third of the booths were demoing either these cameras or rigs designed to make them more usable, such as shoulder mounts, audio recorders and follow-focus units. I already have (and love) Zacuto’s Z-Finder for the 7D, but I’ll definitely want some sort of shoulder support. Without it, you can’t handhold one very long.

Other observations:

* No Apple. Earlier expos had a large Apple presence centered around Final Cut Pro and Motion. This time, nothing. They probably didn’t want to have to answer a thousand questions about when the next version of FCP will come.

* No Adobe or Avid, either. Both have better native support for the formats a lot these cameras use, like AVCHD and MPEG-4. I’m really sick of converting to ProRes.

* Good-looking 3D. Several manufacturers were showing off 3D monitors. This was the first time I’d ever considered getting one.

* Lots of panel lights. Everywhere I used to see Kino-Flos, I saw LEDs.

* My favorite gizmo was probably a Wi-Fi video tap by Teradek that lets you broadcast to nearby laptops, iPads and iPhones. That would be a godsend for a virtual video village. (On Go, we used a somewhat-illegal TV transmitter for the same purpose.)

The Expo continues tomorrow if you’re in town and eager to check out some gear.

How to write on the spine of a script

Film Industry

Back in my ramen days as a young screenwriter, I used to marvel at colleagues’ script libraries, shelves of brass-bradded screenplays generally organized by writer. They were a status symbol. “Oh, you haven’t read POINT BREAK?” they would ask, finger hovering by the title. “You know James Cameron did a rewrite.”

Screenplays were a physical *thing* to be borrowed and traded and photocopied. Moving from one apartment to another — young Los Angelenos generally relocate annually — meant hauling file boxes of scripts. Reading meant heavy lifting.

Now, of course, in the age of iPads and .pdfs, printed scripts are much less important. A shelf full of old screenplays feels quaint, bordering on out-of-touch, much like boasting about one’s CD collection.

I’ll gladly take convenience over nostalgia.

Still, there are times you do need a printed script. For example, production drafts are increasingly only distributed on paper, in order to reduce the chance of leaking on the internet. Or you may have so many hand-written notes in a script that it’s important to retain the physical draft.

Based on some printed scripts I’ve seen recently, a related skill may be on verge of being lost forever: writing neatly on the spine of a script.

Here’s a quick tutorial.

1. Remove any brads or binder clips.
2. Hold the script by the top and bottom.
3. Slam it hard on its left edge. Do it twice or three times if you need to let out some steam. You want every page to be absolutely flush.
4. Put the script near the edge of the table.
5. Pushing down with your non-writing hand to keep the pages pressed firmly together, write the title on the edge with a Sharpie. Include date or draft if applicable.
6. Restore brads or clips.

YES:

proper spine writing

NO:

bad spine writing

If you’re pretty sure a script will go from your hands to the recycling bin, don’t bother labeling it. Any script that is going to be stacked, shelved or filed should be labelled on its spine.

Screenplays are now often printed two-sided, which means they’re half as thick as they used to be. That’s okay. Same technique still works — just write smaller.

Advice for Canadian criminals

Film Industry, International, QandA

questionmarkI’m a Canadian screenwriter with a criminal record, so I can’t go to the U.S. Is there the slightest possibility I could still sell specs in Hollywood without ever setting a foot there?

— Gaetan

Nothing’s impossible.

Thirty seconds of Googling suggests your criminal record is probably more akin to civil disobedience than, say, punching orphans. I wouldn’t count out the possibility of your coming to the U.S. at some point. With the right (expensive) legal assistance, many problems can be resolved.

In the meantime, yes, you could write and sell a spec from Canada. You’re at a disadvantage to be sure, but you’re really no worse off than the budding screenwriter determined to stay in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Remember that specs are not a screenwriter’s bread-and-butter. Landing assignments and setting up pitches requires meetings. It would be hard to develop an ongoing screenwriting career without being able to meet face-to-face.

Screenwriters are ultimately part of a larger filmmaking community, and if you can’t live in Los Angeles, you would be well-served getting involved with the French-Canadian productions shooting near you.