• Wondering which camera, gear, computer, or software to buy? Ask in our Gear Guide.

Help please....

Y

yatesy_2k4

Guest
Today I started writing my script for 'Mirror Man' Now in my head its a very long piece but the thing is that the dialogue isnt exactly huge, theres more tension building in it. My worry from this is that its only going to end up being 50+ pages long when i would like it to be 150+ pages long so that it is truly a masterpiece. I dont want to drag it on or anything and I am going to edit and edit upon edit after finishing first draft and always look for extra things to put in.

But has anyone got any tips please?
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
It doesn't have to be 150 pages to be a masterpiece. Generally, it's a page per minute. Just write it, and don't worry about the rules, otherwise, you will just be adding fluff to make the page count.

Write it and see what happens. If it is extremely short in pages, but the story is there, you can go back and be more descriptive.

:wink:
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Enough Story

You don't want it to be 150 pages, you want it to be about 110 pages.

If you're concerned that you don't have enough story, try to solve that problem before you end up writing FADE OUT on page 50. Do a step outline - just writing down the basic idea of every scene in order.

Joe meets Cathy at a party.
They go out on a date - and discover they hate each other.
Walking to their car they witness a murder.
The killer chases them down the street.
Joe and Cathy hide from the killer - but they've seen his face.
(etc)

You end up with a good idea of what you have and what you don't have. You can figure out how to expand your story before you write it.

Also - remember that story is conflict. You want to make sure that the central conflict isn't easily resolved - that there's enough ther for your protagonist to struggle with it for 110 pages. That means the central conflict will probably contain a dilemma (two choices, both wrong) or require the protagonist to deal with an emotional problem they would rather avoid (and the more they avoid it, the worse the conflict becomes). A good conflict ESCALATES - it gets worse as the story continues.

You might consider taking 3 films similar to your story and writing step outlines for them - to see how they managed to get to page 110. I think my Script Tip for today is on genre patterns, and suggests this as a good way to study a genre.

- Bill
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
indietalk said:
Write it and see what happens.
Click to expand...

No matter what else is added here, that is the best advice. You shouln't worry about rules too much, especially on the first draft. Get the story out of your head and onto paper (or in a PC), then worry about the rules.

Poke
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I read that many screenwriters start off with a short script, a rough outline, write in as much as you know you want to happen, from beginning to end. Don't worry about the pages. Then elaborate. I read about 'Mirror Man', sounds great. Good luck. I'm 15. (smiley face)

Chad
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
i havent even begun to make it yet, but i wrote a script and its very short, only about 37 pages. but i quite positive it will make 80-90 minute film. there is not much dialog in the second half. so i was wondering, does the page a minute thing work on all scripts? i would think it would depend on dialog and the pace also. i dont think i am the thinking the wrong time for it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I think the one thing to think about is to not be afraid of the first draft. I know when I'm writing I get caught up because I'm trying to make it perfect in draft 1! It's silly to do that! and what I keep having to remind myself is of the very fact that it is the first draft! Only draft one!
Indie's advice of 'write it and see what happens' is just right!

You need to bang out draft 1, if you get caught up on bits, leave it, move onto a different scene.

You need to lay the foundations before you slap on the roof ;) Undercoat before you paint ;)
build it up layer by layer... over time...
All very rad.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
37 PAGES

Scripts aren't only dialogue - in fact, the average script will probably be a 50/50 mix of dialogue and actions.

The actions part are what's important, because film is a visual medium. It's a story told in pictures.

So if you have Fade Out on page 37, you have a problem. Either there's not enough story in your script or you've got all the verbal part of the story and none of the visual part.

I'd go over to Drew's and read a stack of scripts to see what they are supposed to look like.

I suspect at 37 pages that your problem is not enough story *and* you need to work on the visual part. (2 times 37 doesn't give us 110). A common problem with short scripts is no act 2 - there conflict is set up, and the conflict is resolved, but in between there's no big struggle with that conflict.

Here's a tip on that:
http://www.scriptsecrets.net/tips/tip279.htm

For the visual part - when I'm up for a rewrite and have to read a script quickly, I usually skip the dialogue and just read the actions - the visual part of the script. That's where the story usually is. If you can't read *only* the actions portions of your script and know the story (ie: if the story isn't being told with pictures) you need to work on that.

- Bill
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
when I'm up for a rewrite and have to read a script quickly, I usually skip the dialogue and just read the actions - the visual part of the script. That's where the story usually is. If you can't read *only* the actions portions of your script and know the story (ie: if the story isn't being told with pictures) you need to work on that.
Click to expand...

Wow!

Bill, that is the best piece of advice about scripts I've ever seen. I'm totally blow away by it, so much so that I'm now going to sit back and re-read my own scripts tonight and make notes based on this idea.

Thanks man, excellent. I can not thank you enough for this nugget of information. It makes perfect sense.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Actually the script has more actions and directions than dialog. and the first half has a good amount of dialog. i know theres been films that were made from short scripts, though of course is isnt too common. i think there is a good amount of detail in the script. i also think the pace of it is fine. i went over it last night to fix or change anything and there was nothing else i could really add.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
If you've got a short linear story that works, but is too short, then maybe a subplot, something that breaks away from the main story, but interweaves back in might help.

A good example of this is the subplot about the man whose photos are torn up all over Paris, in the excellent film Amelie.

On the other hand, maybe this story just isn't feature material. Or, more likely, as I've found with my own writing, it is feature material, but only if I sacrifice the one part of the story I'm most attached too. Quite often the feature story is there waiting to be told, but it's buried under the short film story. I've just had to go through this with a story I've been working on for years. The scenes that I first wrote when it was as short, the ones that inspired me to write the story, have been cluttering up the storyline. Once I let go of them, the solid feature length story emerged.

I've found that in the transition from short to feature length, it is often the first act that suffers. Short films have to get straight into it and establish the story in a few minute, a feature requires a longer set up for the story and an opportunity to get to understand how the characters tick. If I dive straight into the conflict and then resolve it (short film), then I can't possibly get to feature length.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top