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Purchasing a script VS. Writing your own.

H

harmonica44

I was wondering what is better when it comes to making a movie for a lesser amount of money. If you write your own script, you will need a writing consultant or a script doctor to rework it after, and make everything work, but also to make it a better read for most moviegoers tastes. The cost of that can add up to a lot because those script doctors are not cheap at all.

But purchasing your own script can be quite expensive as well, depending on what scripts you have access to, that you can afford.

So I am wondering what the best option is, and what your thoughts are. Thanks for the input. I really appreciate it :).
 
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On behalf of the Indietalk community, please purchase your script. That way, we can cut down on the inane threads of "What about this scene" and "Would this be realistic" etc. etc.
 
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It really depends on your writing skills and techniques. One wouldn't necessarily need a script doctor. I'd assume the percentage of indie filmmakers who hire script doctors is fairly low.
 
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@H44:

go make tiny shorts. Get experience, find your style.
Buying a script is not THE solution at this moment, because you still hardly have a clue what to do with a script.
You might argue that making very short shorts is a waste of your time, but I'd say you wasted almost 5 years by biting off more than you could chew on in your search for a shortcut to Hollywood. You could have made at least 5 shorts that range from 'fun to make although not so good' to at least 'ok'.
Imagine you've got the perfect script, you still have very little experience with turning writings into a movie. Remembering all the hurdles you ran into, I think it is good thing that you make a few short videos, even if it is just for the sake of experiencing how it feels to actually finish a project. That feeling of succeeding is a great motivation and inspiration...
 
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I agree with WalterB.

H44 has been a member here for 5 years. If he has made 4
movies a year he would have 20 short films finished. Just 4
a year. No budget, first time actors, inexperienced crew. By
the 10th (in 2013) the inexperienced crew (and director)
would have some actual, on set experience. By the 20th (this
month) H44 would be a director with experience.

How many short films have you completed since 2011, Ryan?
harmonica44 said:
So I am wondering what the best option is, and what your thoughts are. Thanks for the input. I really appreciate it :).
Click to expand...
I know this will fall on deaf ears...

A writer doesn't need writing consultant or a script doctor. If you
are not a writer then you need to buy a script. Yes, purchasing a
script can be expensive. It can add 3% to 4% to the total budget.
But if you find a script you love that percentage is worth every cent.

From your five years of posts here in indietalk I say your best option
is to purchase a script. It won't be cheap. It won't be easy to find a
script you love but that is your best option. My thoughts are you should
start looking for and reading scripts immediately.
 
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Well I have been helping a lot of others with their movies to get experience. I still haven't been able to get any responses to my short film scripts. I think the problem is is that a lot of people are not interested in doing shorts. One thing I have noticed is, is that when it comes to helping people out with their features, is that more people line up to do it.

I think a lot of people in the business just are not interested in making shorts. I wrote a a script that was as short as one page, and couldn't find any takers.

I will keep looking for sure. But I figure in the meantime, I will look over other feature scripts and continue to write my own I figure, as well as helping others out with their longer projects. I have also been practicing a lot on my own, with my equipment, and currently shooting some youtube documentary type videos for someone.
 
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harmonica44 said:
Well I have been helping a lot of others with their movies to get experience. I still haven't been able to get any responses to my short film scripts. I think the problem is is that a lot of people are not interested in doing shorts. One thing I have noticed is, is that when it comes to helping people out with their features, is that more people line up to do it.

I think a lot of people in the business just are not interested in making shorts. I wrote a a script that was as short as one page, and couldn't find any takers.

.............................
Click to expand...

You mentioned this a few times, but that is not my experience at all.
I estimate I made over 30 short videos without a budget, but with small cast and crew.
Ok, most of them were made when I was a student: so the crew were fellow students and so was the cast sometimes. But after I graduated I made 8 shorts ranging from 1 to 4 minutes and I succesfully casted total strangers: including an actor/model who stars in several commercials causing him to be seen on almost every commercial break on TV.

I'm sure the problem is not that people don't want to work on shorts, it is either:
- the idea
- the way you communicate the idea (we discussed this before)
- the way you communicate in general (which might lack enthousiasm/confidence)
- the places you look for cast/crew (you must know at least some people by now)
- the lack of portfolio (that's why you need to make something)
- a combination of the above

Another way to get started is making a musicvideo for a local band.
That way you'll have something to show, which might help casting.

Anyway: good to hear you're working on something :)
 
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Harmonica, I'm still available to write for free. I love doing it for guys like you because I write better when I write for someone. I once asked for a paid review and scored great, so I am up there with the truly great writers. The biggest problem I have is the English, but that you could fix. If you shoot it or not is not important, you can order a script only to see if it works out for you.

A feature script would help you get a team together to shoot the first 15 minutes as a test. You can tell them that you can afford finishing the project if the test looks good enough. The only thing I need from you is to know your main location and what taste you have. Possible strengths. Then you get something with hit-potential on paper, designed for you.
 
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Man... I remember a guy came to the forum once with like five scripts. Posted all of them for us to read... one was called "I Swear, Inc". I wanted that script so badly, it fit perfectly with my style. It had strong meta. (They are shorts, I make them for people that appreciate the meta, fuck auteurs <3 )

I remember exchanging a few emails, someone else outbid me on it. They paid 200.

Is 200 dollars a lot? No. I spend at least 350ish on shorts, plus catering for crew. 200 for an indie short script? Meh.

You need to find a writer who will sell it to you cheap, but you also have to find work from a writer that calls to you. His other 4 scripts bore the shit out of me. I wouldn't have given him a dollar to shoot those.

--------------------

Overall though, I don't think you have writer material in you H44. Honestly, none. Why should a filmmaker try to be something they're not? Not everyone is as good a writer or director as they think they are. Buy a script that speaks to you. SHOOT IT ASAP!

--------------------

Didn't one of the New Zealand or Aussie members once offer for you to fly out there and make something of significant value with them? So that you could learn from someone with experience, and you ignored it?

I recommended it. I still would recommend it.

----------------------

Bottom line I think you've spent too much time in threads talking about what ifs. Don't have people who want to work on stuff with you? Pay em'. Go to film school. DO SOMETHING.
 
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I advocate purchasing or optioning a screenplay. Every situation is
different. You could possibly get it for free. However, the most important
thing you get with purchasing a screenplay is objectivity. If you write
the screenplay yourself, you can never be fully objective even with a
script consultant. One of the reasons indie films are so bad so often
is that filmmakers become consumed by their own hubris and ego
in the creative process. There’s no real filter to stop them from writing
garbage. If you buy a screenplay, you more easily see the strengths as
well as the weaknesses.

I have filmmaker friends who believe that the film isn’t really theirs
unless they’ve written the screenplay. You have to let go of that mentality
if ever want to make a good film. I’ve written and directed four feature films.
I would love to find a screenplay to direct because it allows you to build
upon something that already has a firm foundation.
 
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Okay thanks. I will keep looking for people to make shorts with. A lot of them ask me what I have done before, but when I don't have anything much to show them, I think they loose interest. I mean I could show them some practice footage I did, but I don't have much to show with actors yet. Hopefully they people I am making a video with right now, will help me finish it, and I can get that in the can.

And yes I have offered my services to bands, and as soon as one replies, or I find one, I will definitely want to do a music video.

As for purchasing a screenplay, it's a matter of not having found one that speaks to me so far. When I write my own stories, I can make them speak to me. But I haven't found one of someone else's that has yet, in which I have access to. Do you think that maybe it's okay to direct a script that doesn't speak to me though? Like I could look at a script and say, well even though I don't think very much of this story, it is the best one, I have access to, and a lot of other people may like it?

But yes, it is hard to be objective of my own material for sure. One of the reasons why I wanted to write my own before, is because I could write to my budget, and my locations available. So there is that advantage. So many scripts have locations or budgets that call for much higher ones, and you cannot change the settings without it getting in the way of the plot, really.
 
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mussonman said:
If I were ME, I'd write my own script.
Click to expand...

I would agree with you. I'm just starting out, but part of the fun is writing your own script and then having an editor revise it.

I would think that this forum would be a great place to flesh out scenes and ideas, but, if that's not the preference of the members, perhaps a screenwriters' forum would be better. Anyone know of one?

BTW, I asked some people about a certain scene, and they gave me great ideas. So brainstorming can be good. :)
 
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There are people who post screenplays on here and get feedback. I've gotten some feedback from members in the past.

You can find a good script and alter it in a way to make it speak to you.
 
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I've been away from the board for a while ...

H44, I'm certain you are aware of the multitude of tasks the DIY filmmaker needs to take on. There's only so much we can learn in a reasonable amount of time; the rest we leave to others. In my case, I left all sound, score and mixing duties to experienced pros. The rest, I had to learn.

You are obsessively detail oriented, and from what I've seen over the years have gotten little done, as a result. If you want to make a movie and aren't interested in mastering writing process, that's cool; buy a script and go make a movie.

Making something is better than making nothing.

ROK
 
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