film

The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1

Maximum Z adventure, characters, dialogue, education, film, movies, rewriting, science fiction, screenplay, screenwriting, script, Star Wars, story, storytelling, subplot, writing, writing process , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

During a recent break from the writing, I saw a few posts on social media celebrating the 43rd(!) anniversary of the release of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

I was around for that. Proudly so.

I decided to give it another watch, mostly for nostalgia’s sake.

Even though I’ve seen it numerous times, this time felt a little different. I found myself watching it from a writer’s point of view.*

It made for a very different experience, involving continuously making mental notes and asking questions.

“How did this look on the page?”

“Wow, that dialogue gets right to the point without being on-the-nose”

“What an incredibly tight scene”

“Pay attention to how the characters are shown changing over the course of the story”

Just seeing how smooth the story flows, how tight the whole thing is, and how all the subplots are laid out really struck a chord for me.

THIS is how I want my scripts to come across.

I’ve already said that this current draft of my sci-fi adventure is all about getting pages written and holding off on editing/revising until it’s complete. That still applies.

But when I do get to that point, I’m already anticipating looking at each scene and trying to figure out what changes could be made to achieve that same level of tightness, structure, and efficiency.

And it’s just a coincidence about my script being a similar genre; this approach would help no matter what I was working on.

This is all just further proof that a writer’s education never truly stops, watching well-written films can benefit your own writing process, and that there’s always an opportunity to learn how to improve your writing.

*Full acknowledgment to credited writers Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas*

A small ramification of the writers strike

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I was afraid of this.

The intent was to post the Maximum Z Summer ’23 Script Showcase in 2 weeks, with an abundance of film and TV scripts for the enjoyment of all.

More than a few scripts have been sent in, but there has also been a significant number of writers contacting me saying “Normally, I’d do this in a second, but because of the writers’ strike…”

And you can probably fill in the rest.

Much as I would love to proceed with the Showcase, the last thing I want to do is make anybody feel uncomfortable about it or feel like they’re putting their potential future involvement with the WGA at risk. Myself included.

So even though it breaks my heart to do so, the Summer Showcase is on hold until further notice.

I won’t cancel it outright since there’s no idea when the strike could end.

If it does end in the near future, then I’ll weigh the options of opening it up again. If it runs longer than anticipated, the Showcase will most likely return later this year with the Autumn/Winter edition; looking at December 1st.

If you’ve already sent in your script, let me know if you want it kept on file for next time, or plan to resubmit it (or another script) at the appropriate time.

Like many other pre-WGA writers, I’m hoping to eventually be part of the organization, so I stand in solidarity with what they’re trying to accomplish. If that means not being able to do the Showcase, it’s a small price to pay.

(Illustration by James Yang)

For all the writers of screen & TV out there

Maximum Z community, contest, film, genre, logline, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, story, television, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hard to believe it’s that time of year already, but if you’ve got a screenplay or TV script you want to share with the rest of the screenwriting community, and the online world in general, your chance to put it front and center is once again at hand.

The Maximum Z Summer ’23 Script Showcase will post on Friday, June 2nd, so you have between now and Thursday, June 1st to send it in. Details listed below.

This bi-annual event has been going on for a few years now. It’s just my little way of giving a helping hand to any writer via a little publicity boost for their script, absolutely free of charge.

Once the post is up, I’ll post a link to it on my various social media platforms, and highly encourage you to do the same if you want to get more eyes on your listing.

And if you see a script you’d like to read, the contact info is right there for you to get in touch with the writer to ask. I’m fairly certain they’d be more than happy to send it your way.

Here’s how it all works:

Email the following info here with the subject line “Maximum Z Summer ’23 Script Showcase’:

-Film or TV?

-Title

-Author(s)

-Genre(s)

-Logline

-Awards (if applicable) – 5 at the most

-your email

And that’s it.

Two VERY important details to keep in mind:

-DO NOT SEND THE SCRIPT!!

Just the info above. Nothing else.

-and-

-Only one script per person.

New scripts are highly encouraged, but past submissions are also welcome.

Again – send it in between now and Thursday, June 1st.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – proofread the email before sending!. There’ve been more than a few typos over the years, so make sure everything reads the way it’s supposed to.

Looking forward to seeing what you’ve got, so don’t delay and send it today!

Bye-bye, red envelopes

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A sad day for cinephiles is on the horizon, and will be here before we know it.

Netflix has announced they’re ending their DVD service as of the end of September. I still subscribe to it, and deeply regret that it will no longer be an option.

More than a few friends would be surprised about my still getting discs in the mail. “How come, especially when there’s so much stuff streaming?” they would ask.

Simple – there are so many titles on DVD that aren’t available anywhere on streaming.

It’s easy to catch the latest box office smash, but what if you want an obscure C-grade horror film from 1973, or the Oscar winner for Best Documentary from 2002 (Murder on a Sunday Morning), or something from early in the career of a legendary Japanese director?

Without access to an extensive library of DVDs, you’re pretty much out of luck.

As screenwriters, movies are just part of our genetic makeup. We live for them and love to watch them – as many and as often as possible. It’s a no-frills film school.

Those of us of a certain age remember the thrill of going to the local video store with its wide variety of selections across multiple genres. (Blockbuster doesn’t count.). First it was VHS tapes, then DVDs, but the concept remained the same.

And if you were lucky, it had staff members who actually knew something about the films and could make suggestions and recommendations.

Another soon-to-be-lamented loss was that a lot of the films I’d get through Netflix had trailers for other films I’d never heard of but piqued my interest enough to add it to the queue. The cycle of “watch, add to the queue, watch, add to the queue” seemed neverending.

Until now.

So as we enjoy these last few months of DVD options, attention shall be redirected to the streamers. There are options, although not as many choices. Some of the streamers are part of some major studios with vast and expansive libraries of material, but only make available a fraction of what they have.

(Lookin’ at you, HBO Max with access to Warner Brothers.)

I know money and licensing rights play a big factor in this, but the opportunity to just sit down and watch a film I’ve never seen before will soon become a lot less possible.

And that’s a real shame.

Hurry! The clock’s ticking!

Maximum Z blog, community, film, genre, logline, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, television, writing , , , , , , , , , ,

Just a friendly reminder that the Maximum Z Winter ’22 Script Showcase goes up a week from today – December 2, which means you’ve only got a few days to send in the info for your screenplay or TV script if you want it to be included.

And a great bonus of doing this is that you can post the link on all of your social media platforms and say “Hey, check it out! My script’s in here!”

It should also be noted that all of this is ABSOLUTELY FREE, which is always great.

Here’s how it works.

Send the following here by Thursday, December 1 with the subject line ‘Maximum Z Winter ’22 Script Showcase’

-Film or TV?

-Title

-Author

-Genre(s)

-Logline

-Awards (if applicable, and no more than 5)

-Your email

And that’s all.

(Just to give you an idea of the finished product, here’s the Summer ’22 edition)

Two VERY important details to keep in mind:

-DO NOT SEND THE SCRIPT!!

Just the info above. Nothing else.

-and-

Only one script per person.

New scripts are highly encouraged, but submissions from past Showcases are also welcome.

Again – send it in between now and Thursday, December 1st. Shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes between starting and hitting ‘send’.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – proofread the email before sending it. There’ve been more than a few typos over the years, so make sure everything reads the way it’s supposed to.

Looking forward to seeing what you’ve got, so don’t delay and send it today!

–

SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION!!!

My GO AHEAD AND ASK! books make for some excellent gifts this holiday season. Whether for yourself or for another screenwriter, they’re an entertaining and informative read, and would be a great addition to any screenwriter’s home library.

Available in both paperback and e-book formats.

Plus, many types of pies are discussed.