Structure Matters

I love this time of year. It always gets my creativity going.

I broke down and bought "The Screenwriters Bible" by David Trottier. It is the definitive book on screenwriting today; the "bible," if you will. I usually check it out at the library (very cheap that way) but when I picked it up recently, I found that it was a brand new fourth edition and it looked as if I was the first to check it out. So, I went and spent about fifteen bucks on Amazon and bought it.

I am now using the book as a template for my new screenplay. As my scripts are currently pretty loose as far as screenplays go, I want to tighten them up in terms of story, theme, characterization, etc. in order to make them more marketable. When you are new to the game, agent/managers, producers all want to know that you can write a screenplay in terms of (what I just mentioned.) Readers, the first hurdle you must overcome, have a job to do and that is to read your entire script. Scripts have structure, therefore, make it easier for them to read it and they are more likely to finish it on a positive note. Opposed to a negative one like, "Jeez, I'm glad I finally made it through that...I have no idea what it was about..."

A structured script is also good for script competitions, another great way to break into the industry. The readers for most reputable competitions are industry professionals. They not only look for the winners of the competition, but a second or third place finish (even a tenth) that's structured well with a good story could get noticed and generate interest.

I also invite you to check out one of my new favorite podcasts called, "On the Page." You can find it on ITunes (obviously) and, of course, it's free.

Flicmaking starts with an idea. Idea BIG!