WORD OF ADVICE

[yojimbo13]

You know, when I heard "screenwriter/filmmaker" as the list, I thought there would be some in this board. But damn, you guys are strictly amateur. You haven't even finish ONE SCRIPT and you're already sending them out for people to read? Are you nuts? I would NEVER want anyone to read my first scripts -- especially UNFINISHED ONES.

I guess I came to the wrong place. And I pretty much expect to get the shit flamed out of me after this message, but go ahead and have at it -- I'm gone after this post, anyway, never to return.

If you want to take the advice of someone who has been writing for a while (and when i say "writing," I don't mean diddling around on my computer with an unfinished script, I mean FINISHED dozens of scripts, novels, and have an agent)... HERE IS MY ADVICE: listen to it or not:

You're not a writer until you've FINISHED a writing piece. Until then, you have a hobby, nothing more.

DON'T, whatever you do, send your script to someone to read that ISN'T FINISHED. It's just dumb and you're bound to get the advice of people who hasn't even finished their own scripts. Consider this analogy: would you show the car that you built out of scratch to someone who is trying to learn how to build his own car from scratch and actually expect a valuable, knowledable critique back? Not gonna happen.

And I know most of you are going to do this, because you're all young and (most likely) don't know much about much. DO NOT send your "just finished" script out to an agent or to a producer. It's a TOTAL WASTE OF TIME. Trust me on this -- been there, done that. Of course, that was when I was young and stupid. Don't follow my stupidity and you'll save a lot of money on query letters and SASE, not to mention stamps and books that lists agents.

Here's what you do: FINISH ONE SCRIPT and put it away and GET TO WORKING ON ANOTHER ONE. Forget about that first script -- trust me, it's a piece of crap. I guarantee you that the formatting is wrong and you've written WAY too much dialogue because you've seen too many Tarantino movies, and your descriptions FILL THE PAGE. Been there, done that. Toss that first script away.

Get to work on the next one. And the one after that. And READ scripts. Read the masters. FORGET about buying books by "screenplay teachers" who have never sold SQUAT. Look, would you rather take advice about filmmaking from a real filmmaker like say, David Fincher or Steven Spielberg, or from that old hippy Film Professor who hasn't made SQUAT in his lifetime? I think you know the answer. So when you're shelling your money out for those "how to write and sell" books, PAY ATTENTION TO THE AUTHOR'S NAME.

And for God's sake, DO NOT LET PEOPLE READ YOUR UNFINISHED SCRIPT. It's stupid and it's a WASTE OF TIME.

As I said, this is my last post, so don't bother flaming me thinking I'll read it. I'm not coming back. Take my advice or don't, I don't care. Hell, if you guys give up, that's one less competition for me!

And remember, most of all: DON'T BRAG ABOUT HAVING WRITTEN YOUR FIRST SCREENPLAY. Don't throw it at someone's face as if that will impress them. Only your friends and families will be impress -- and they're the same people who thinks actors make up their lines as they go. Telling someone "in the know" that you've written a screenplay and you should get some respect is like saying you got a haircut and they should all bow down to your superior knowledge about movies. Ain't gonna happen.

Okay, rant's over.

Please feel free to bash me and call me names and all that other good stuff. I turn the board back over to you now.

[Tuukka]

It's a shame if you will go away, Yojimbo, since this board needs more often comments like this.

I have personally written only short films and made them to short movies by directing, shooting and editing by myself. I have never even started writing a full lenght screenplay, because I don't find it very useful at this point of my career. If I write a script, I wan't to direct it as well. It will take a few years before I will be experienced enough to direct and finance a full lenght film.

I agree that a first screenplay will very likely be crap. It will need at least 2-3 rewrites before it can be any good. Just take a break and read it again after a few months. You will then see all the mistakes; just start rewriting.

Reading books by "screenplay teachers" can be very useful. Those books generally analyze good screenplays by talented people and give you ideas how to format your script, how to make an effective structure etc. A famous, talented film maker can easily be a crap teacher, so you shouldn't pick a book simply by the name on the cover. Syd Mead writes very good books conserning the subject, but I doubt that he has ever written any great screenplays.

Most people on this board are amateurs with not much experience on screenwriting. That doesn't mean they are stupid and unable to give intelligent, well thought comments about screenplays. You don't have to make movies to be a good movie critic. Same counts for screenplays.

...I definitely agree that you should write your screenplay ready, before you start sending it to other people. For example, if your story lacks an ending, it's really hard to critize it as a whole...

Anyway, I would prefer people to stay and answer others comments if they post topics like this. This is a very good topic, Yojimbo, but it would be more fruitful if you would stay for a while and give people more arguments, if there will be need for them.