Another time of busy-ness around Maximum Z HQ, so thought I’d offer up some previous but still quite relevant posts.
Enjoy!
–Avoiding the dreaded unfilmable
A cavalcade of classics
script
I hope this really registers with you
Pop quiz!
You’ve just finished the latest draft of your script. Not the first draft; maybe a few later. Exactly which one is irrelevant.
But you’ve got what you consider a pretty solid script, to the point that you think it’s ready to start sending out. Queries, contests, what have you.
What important step should you take before anything else?
And…pencils down.
For a more thorough explanation than I could ever provide, here’s a post from the apparently defunct cinemoose.com that all screenwriters should read and heed – especially those of you still in the starting-out stage.
(Author’s note – this is just one of the numerous posts about this topic from the screenwriting-based internet, but the info and advice is more or less the same)
“So you’ve finished your new script and you’re ready to send it out to producers and production companies. How do you protect your work?
Registering your script with the Library Of Congress costs $35. The WGA (Writers Guild of America) offers a similar service for $10 for WGA members and $20 for non-members. So which one is better? Or should you do both? And what about the “poor man’s copyright”?
The Library of Congress
The Library Of Congress is the organization within the United States that deals with copyrights. What is a copyright? According the Library of Congress website, copyrights are a part of intellectual property law that protects “original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture.”
Copyrights do not protect names, titles or ideas. This last point is an important one. Just because you have a great idea for a movie about a disaster movie involving earthquakes does not mean that you copyright that idea and prevent someone else from making a disaster movie about earthquakes. Copyrights only protect the way an idea is specifically expressed. What this means in plain English is that copyrights may only protect the characters, dialogue and story elements that make your specific telling of the story unique.
Technically speaking, your script is copyrighted from the moment you finish it. However, it is a good idea to register your screenplay with the Library of Congress to establish a legal record that may be used in court if you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a copyright infringement lawsuit as a plaintiff or defendant. Registering your screenplay costs $35 and is a relatively simple and straightforward process. Note: screenplays fall under the category of performing arts, not literary works. You can visit the Library Of Congress’s copyright site for more information or download the forms for copyright application here: Copyright Registration Form PA.
The WGA Script Registry
The WGA also maintains a script registry service for screenwriters to register their works. Their service costs $10 for WGA members and $20 for non-members and is valid for five years. The WGA claims that while their service does not replace registering your work with the Library Of Congress, the WGA script registry offers an additional layer of legal protection for your work.
Hogwash. Registering with the WGA does not offer any legal protection for your script. It is, in fact, a money-making scheme of the WGA. The only thing you can do to legally protect your work that will hold up in a court of law is to register with the Library of Congress. The WGA script registry is a waste of money and is not recommended unless you have money to spare and just wish to support the WGA.
(Author’s note – the WGA registration has to be renewed every five years, whereas the Library of Congress copyright is good for the life of the author, plus another 70 years.)
Poor Man’s Copyright
I’m sure that many of you out there have heard of the poor man’s copyright. This process involves mailing a copy of your work to yourself and keeping the sealed envelope with the certified mailing stamp as evidence of your copyright. The poor man’s copyright is little more than an old wives’s tale as there is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection. It’s about as useless as the WGA’s script registry.”
The appeal of appealing to a younger demographic
During a recent phone conversation with another writer, I’d mentioned having wrapped up work on the pulp sci-fi spec.
“What’s it about?” they asked. I proceeded to give them my 10-second elevator pitch, plus the “THIS meets THAT” combo.
“Huh,” was the response. “It sounds cool, but it also sounds like it would be a kids’ movie.”
I suppose that’s one way to look at it. My preference is “a rollercoaster ride of a story, fun for anybody from 8 to 88”. That’s always been my approach when I set out to spin a ripping yarn.
Was I supposed to view their comment as some kind of insult? As if there’s something negative or shameful about writing material that appeals to kids? Because that hasn’t worked at all for Disney or Pixar.
PIxar especially has a reputation for producing films that appeal to all ages. There’s been a lot written about the immense amount of time they spend on making sure the story is rock-solid. One of the most-read articles for screenwriting is based on part of their process, and those don’t just apply to animation; they’re for ALL screenwriting.
Let me also throw a couple of “kids movies” out there. You might have heard of them.
Star Wars. Harry Potter.
One’s been around for 40 years, with no sign of letting up, while the other just celebrated 20 years of entertaining readers and moviegoers.
On the surface, both are solid, simplistic stories about the fight of good versus evil. But is that all they are? Heavens no! There’s universal appeal, engaging characters who grow and change, themes being explored, conflict like you wouldn’t believe – all told through a filter of imagination. Don’t let the presence of lightsabers, magic wands, or animated, talking animals distract you from what’s really going on.
And let’s be honest. Both of those series have done more than okay at the box office.
Not too shabby for “kids movies”.
Now, I’m not saying any of my scripts are in the same arena as those, but a good story is a good story, no matter who its target audience is. And if it appeals to a younger generation as well as my own, what’s wrong with that?
And you know what else works with kids movies? Kids grow up, and eventually have kids of their own. What do they watch? The movies the parents enjoyed as kids.
Who wouldn’t want to write something that leaves a lasting impression on a young mind, and then see them pass their love of that story to later generations?
For me, that’s what it all comes down to – writing a script that tells a fun and exciting story that anybody could enjoy. And if that includes kids, that’s fine by me.
I speak from experience
“Writing a screenplay is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Bet you’ve heard that one before, right?
It’s true. Learning how to write a screenplay takes time, let alone how to do it well. It might come easier for some, but no matter what your skill level is, it always remains a struggle.
And that feeling when you’re done (at least with the latest draft)? Euphoric sums it up quite nicely.
So that whole running metaphor is pretty apropros. Especially for me.
For those not in the know, I enjoy running half-marathons. Seriously.
I’ve run about a dozen or so the past few years. Like with the writing, it’s a self-imposed challenge and pushes you to keep moving forward. Believe me, there are definitely times during those races I just want to stop and catch my breath, but I don’t because I want to keep going and see what I’m capable of.
I usually finish somewhere just under 2 hours, which isn’t bad.
A few weeks ago, I ran a race in San Francisco and finished with a time of 2:02:56, which some might think is great, but I still considered a little disappointing.
This past weekend was another race – across the Bay in Oakland. The results of the previous race really shook me up. Was I once again going to fall short of my goal?
Only one way to find out.
I did my best to maintain a steady pace and continuously reminded myself that even though it was a challenge, I felt I had a pretty good handle on it. Oakland’s also a lot flatter than San Francisco, which probably helped.
The home stretch for this race is an 8-block-long straight line through downtown Oakland. At the finish line, there’s always a big digital timer. As I got closer, the numbers came into view.
1:54:30? Wow! And just a handful of blocks to go!
You know that feeling when you’re writing the last page of your script and FADE OUT is coming up fast and you get that sudden rush of adrenaline and you can’t believe the end is finally in sight?
Even though you’re exhausted and feeling totally spent, you can always find that hidden reserve of energy, which is just enough to get you to that goal.
Giving it everything I had, I poured on the speed (or at least as much as I could muster) and ran like a madman to that finish line.
End result – 1:54:59. Not only did I break the 2-hour mark, but I just squeaked by my other personal objective of breaking 1:55.
All that self-doubt from before had been erased. I had given myself a goal and set out to accomplish it.
Notice all those comparisons to screenwriting that could be made?
Every script is your own personal challenge. Sometimes it’ll be easy, and sometimes it’ll feel like nothing is happening, but the important thing is for you to keep at it and not stop trying to reach that finish line.
Like with training for these runs, it requires a lot of work. You find the time to do it when you can, hoping each session yields a slightly better result than the previous one.
My current work on the comedy spec coincides with this latest round of training for my next race – early November, and again in San Francisco. Both script and race will be a little more on the challenging side, but by engaging in regular training, I’m fairly confident I can achieve the results I seek.
A little stretching, a few deep breaths, and off I go.
Let’s get moving, chums.
Good. Better. Getting there.
Notes continue to come in for the pulp sci-fi spec, some contrary, many encouraging, and all chock-full of notable suggestions. With some coming from my trusted core of reliably savvy readers, there’s been one statement more than a few have included.
The gist of it is:
“This is the third script of yours I’ve read, and each one has shown a definite improvement over the previous one.”
It warms this writer’s soul to hear that sort of thing. And these are writers who pull no punches. They won’t hesitate to say something doesn’t work.
I’ve been working at this for a while, but it really feels like just the past few years have seen the most significant progress. Just goes to show what constant hard work can do, right?
Nor do I have any intention of slowing down. Doing my best to maintain a dedicated block of time and/or pages on a daily basis. The more you do it, the easier it gets (but is still tough).
The three scripts in question were all adventure-based, which enabled me to exercise a certain set of writing skills. With work now commencing on overhauling a comedy, an entirely new set will get the workout they deserve.
Crafting a sequence involving a train heist in the Old West, or a team of adventurers taking on a mad scientist? Piece of cake.
Writing a story involving everyday people in relatively normal (but funny) situations, peppered with smart (and funny) dialogue, all without the benefit of using special effects to enhance the story?
That is truly the next challenge to yours truly. It initially feels very daunting, but I’ve made it this far, and there’s no reason to think I can’t continue to push my way forward.
Should be a very interesting journey.
*Billy Wilder’s 10 Rules for Good Filmmaking (also applicable to screenwriting)
1: The audience is fickle.
2: Grab ’em by the throat and never let ’em go.
3: Develop a clean line of action for your leading character.
4: Know where you’re going.
5: The more subtle and elegant you are in hiding your plot points, the better you are as a writer.
6: If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.
7: A tip from Lubitsch: Let the audience add up two plus two. They’ll love you forever.
8: In doing voice-overs, be careful not to describe what the audience already sees. Add to what they’re seeing.
9: The event that occurs at the second act curtain triggers the end of the movie.
10: The third act must build, build, build in tempo and action until the last event, and then — that’s it. Don’t hang around.
Maximum Z 