I've met many people who ruined the entire filmmaking process by trying to complete a perfect script. In some films, producers hope that improvisation will create something magical.
In low budgets, the latter is necessary, in large independent films, it is risky, and in Hollywood, only a few people are able to do it.
Early films desperately needed structure, and now they are being stifled by structure. This perfect balance exists somewhere, and it could be the secret to making amazing stories.
As an obstacle to the script vs. as a story to open the door
It's a shame to see some filmmakers spend thousands of dollars on making trailers or short films to entice investors to make features they want to make.
They spend their savings on making "business cards" or constantly revising scripts to raise money. Years have passed, and their projects are still in a state of uncertainty, or credit card debt is piling up. All the while, they weren't doing what they were supposed to do: making movies.
Artists can only constantly improve their skills. If we filmmakers are always after money, are we giving ourselves the creative extensions we need, or are we just taking real-world economics lessons?
Back to our youth: many of us pick up our parents' VHS recorders after school or on weekends and shoot movies at home.
For example, my sister and I made a scary but funny horror movie without suffering at school. We were just teenagers at the time. We were our own two-man crew and actors, with no money.
However, we made a movie anyway. I know I'm not the only kid doing that. So why does this energetic approach and creative indulgence disappear into adulthood?
It's a different topic, but it has a lot to do with what I call hollywood's spiritual colonialism, which brainwashes us into believing that we have to have epic scripts and a lot of cash to create movies that are worth watching.
This is no longer true. I would say that cheaper technology has made most of us strong, but not quite. We're still stuck in the first phase of making a great movie: a good story. This is where things get expensive.
So that reminds me of the script and the story. But first, I should define what I mean by the script and story.
By "screenplay," I mean a movie script written by one or more screenwriters based on fictional characters, places, and plots. "Stories" refer to things that happen around you, things that happen to you, or things that happen to people you know.
Traditional screenplays are usually written without a budget and are written under the guidance of the author's imagination. However, this often requires a lot of collective production of locations, scenes, costumes, etc., which increases the budget and makes it difficult for most independently thinking filmmakers to actually start their projects.
For example, there is a scripted scene where a man proposes to his girlfriend at a restaurant. Sounds simple, right? The script requires a restaurant, an actor's costume, an engagement ring, and maybe a bouquet of roses, a restaurant background actor, food, and so on.
This "simple" scenario suddenly requires the integration of resources for this completely fictional event. Budgets are also climbing. It is this phase that discourages low-budget filmmakers.
However, when stories exist all around us, with people we know, where we live, or films that incorporate these elements, they become more economically accessible because they already happen without our manipulation.
We don't need to pay the price of life to unfold its strange process. We just have to find a way, quietly get around it, play with it, and once it adapts to our presence, let's become its intriguing mysterious voyeur.
This last part is important. It's both a creative choice and a budget choice. Due to the particularity involved, the script will require the expensive production mentioned earlier.
Instead, the screenwriter creates a very basic outline and breaks it down into several scenes. The place is replaceable, and everything can be moved as needed, as long as the general symbol of the moment is still expressed.
The script also forces us to shove the dialogue into the actor's mouth. Instead, we set goals for actors to develop their roles with the screenwriter and put them in charge of the dialogue, which is a creative choice usually made by the screenwriter.
With the outline in place, we started making. By letting real life creep in, keeping the scene fairly open, and giving the actors plenty of the power to collaborate, something interesting happens that wouldn't happen in a more structured script.
The characters begin to deepen in ways we didn't expect. The actors' real-life elements have also been filtered out.
Things need to happen in your script
The problem is that young screenwriters don't know what the word "happens." They think it means your character goes to bars and chats with their friends, or goes to work and spends another boring workday.
Yes, technically, something "happens" in these scenarios, but nothing interesting is happening. To make something interesting happen, let the scene move your story forward.
So instead of having two characters discuss their lives in one place, let them try to figure out what has an impact on the story. Maybe one of them is thinking about moving to a new city, maybe one of them is thinking about asking their dream lover out.
Now that the conversation has a practical purpose, we'll be interested in its ending. "Happening" basically means writing a scene in which you're moving the story forward. If you don't, your scene may be boring.
Put enough effort into your choices
I read this script recently and I think it could easily be a movie. It's very marketable, the kind of thing that studios want to add to their list, but it's very boring.
It's boring because every choice the author makes is the most obvious choice in the world. The main character is an obvious choice for a cliché. The scenes are all scenes I've seen a million times before. There's nothing new about that funny follower character.
It's like the screenwriter never considered the first thing that flashed through his head. As a screenwriter, your job is to ask the question all the time: "Can I come up with something better, more interesting, newer, or cooler than this?" There's a good chance you can.
But most screenwriters are reluctant to spend time because the workload is too great. I have a message to tell you that writing a screenplay isn't all fun, it's work. I could even say that if writing a screenplay is pure fun for you, then you're not working hard enough.
Challenge your choices. Come up with a better way. Don't make a script that makes everything very obvious, very general, very old.
« Top 10 Screenwriting Tips from Screen to Screen »
1 Try different styles.
Writing is free. As long as you keep working and figuring out the style that suits you, it can be very beneficial. Making a feature film is a long project, so you have to make sure you'll love it.
2 Don't guess your audience.
Don't think about what's commercial, think ' will this question I ask in this movie that I find interesting to other people?' ’。 If you try to predict a market, your idea is outdated. People will think. 'I've seen this'.
3 Make something new.
Writing a script inevitably draws on the work of others, trying to make every line and scene unique.
4 100% invested in your project.
You have to love exactly what you're doing and listen to the voice in your head. Before you start writing a script or directing a movie, learn to ask yourself if you're fully immersed in the film' back. If you were pushed off a cliff, would you be happy because it was your last movie?
5 Keep it lean.
The best advice a writer can get is 'delete, delete, delete', so that you can write good things. It's great that you can delete so much content and tell your story well.
6 Listen to your instincts.
When considering people's notes, don't blindly follow their advice, but consider how you really feel about the proposed changes. There's a rule about writing: don't do things you don't believe.
7 Find the notes behind the notes.
Again, mention the criticism of your script and think about what their negative comments really mean. A good piece of advice is 'What's the description behind the description?' ’。
When someone says, 'This character sucks!' That might just mean they don't like the character. In the end, you are the screenwriter, not them.
8 Don't give up on your script easily.
Screenwriters should try to control their vision and, if possible, find ways to direct their own work. Spending 10,000 hours writing something and then handing over the script to someone else to revise, plus their own interpretation, sucks.
9 Never stop learning.
With each movie you can learn a lot and try to learn from your last mistake. In a similar way, you should never get to the stage where you think you know everything, you absolutely need a mentor.
10 Observe how people react to your work.
Whether at book clubs or screenings, people should "always be on the spot to receive feedback – people's spontaneous reactions are the most valuable."