Guest Post: Preparation, Preparation, Preparation by Hina Malik

Many thanks to Hina for a VERY honest post on what NOT to do when pitching... Enjoy!

Why the obvious topic? I’m gonna tell you a story about an enthusiastic writer who had all the ideas in the world, but only one of them written. That idiot was me.

ANNOYING FLASHBACK

2010, and it was the London Screenwriters’ Festival. It was a fantastic experience. I learnt a lot... which is the worst thing that can happen. Don’t know about you, but for me a ‘learning experience’ is geek speak for "I wasted an opportunity because I didn’t know any better, so shoot me now and keep my DVD collection"...

... So, I signed myself up for the pitching sessions, which are a brilliant opportunity... for people who are prepared. I turned up, cocky, not fussed about preparation. I pitched to a production company, an established agent and an indie prodco. The problem was I had one completed short script, of the horror-thriller genre. My other stuff was all ‘in the works’ and far from ready. The first draft of that stuff was yet to grace the painfully blank pages of Final Draft.

And so it began, with us writers cooped up in a room, most of them waited awkwardly and others anxiously. I was relaxed, not a care in the world (you see, ignorance really is bliss). It came to my first pitch and it was a relatively big production company whose focus was features: Hollywood level features. I had nothing, but instead of staring blankly and "umming", I kept my cool and played it by ear... Then a script idea I had conceived a while back (but was yet to actually write) sprung to mind. I pitched it, the prodco seemed unsure initially, but I sold it well enough for the prodco-man to give me his email address and request to read my material. I was elated. Absolutely smug.

Then came pitch number two, the TV agent. I stalled for a beat then pitched some ridiculous procedural which was a mash up of a medical drama and a cop show I had watched, and frankly, I was improvising badly, yet once again, my confidence got me a request to read my material. Score.

For my third pitch, confidence and creativity just wasn’t enough, nor was smiling the appropriate amount so not to frighten or freak out the other person (really, you’d be surprised how easily you can over-smile). I came clean and told her I had nothing. So instead, she kindly gave me feedback on the idea of my short and what kinds of things I should consider when pitching it. As her team dealt with documentaries and not horror-thrillers, I was out of luck.

As I emerged from the pitching room, it began to occur to me that maybe, just MAYBE, the read-requests weren’t so great for me, what with my TOTAL LACK OF PREPARATION.

I submitted a terrible, horrible, embarrassment-to-writers kind of script, with underdeveloped characters and ridiculously contrived plot. A great idea that was poorly executed. And for what? All in the name of sending it off to a prodco who would inevitably reject it. But me being me, I sent it anyway.

BAD DECISION.

For obvious reasons, the script was rejected. As for the TV agent, I didn’t have the pilot script of the amazing show I had pitched to send: another wasted opportunity.

There are two words I hate the most in life and I was thinking them constantly at this point:

‘If only I had been prepared, IF ONLY’.

Being a writer, I expect you want to have material that is decent and ready to show to agents, and submit to Prodcos. You may even want to have scripts ready for competition season (April), that’s why in our career more than any other preparation is the KEY. Preparation is VITAL to getting anywhere in your career as a writer.

‘That’s a nice speech, but what are you going to do about it?’ -Anon.

Be prepared.

Have those drafts tweaked and ready for submission, have your pitches thoroughly practiced and know your projects inside out. So that when the moment comes, you play your cards right, you wow that company or agent and they recognise the talent as it emanates from your script. Our entire career is one big preparation. There is no such thing as the perfect script. There never will be. There is only ‘I am happy with this draft.’ That is all that exists in the form of closure in our world.

‘He who fails to prepare, prepares to fail.’ Remember this. Engrave it onto your forehead backwards so you see it whenever you look in the mirror...or not (if you do, I want pics).

My point is, preparation can save a lot of writers from wasting opportunities. In our line of work opportunities are hard to come by and opportunities that could actually pan out are an even rarer occurrence. I kick myself whenever I think of that ruined opportunity, who knows where I’d be if I had been prepared. Now, cross this page off and WRITE, so when opportunity knocks, you let it in and rock its world.
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ABOUT HINA: Hina's short supernatural horror script, titled ‘The Unfamiliar’ will be shot this summer in the US. She is also penning a feature film with a female protagonist that turns the heist genre on its head, along with two television pilots in the works and a novel in development. You can read her blog here and find her on Twitter as Dodgyjammer.

The Trouble With Taglines

One of the most viewed posts on this entire blog is this one:

Loglines Are Not Taglines

Yet writers still continue to mix them up.

Interestingly, some writers are beginning to hit back with "So what?" these days when challenged at pitches, etc. Their tagline is cool, they might say - or it gives a "flavour" of the tone of the story.

Both of the above may well be true. But there's one thing a tagline does NOT do - and that's TELL US WHAT THE STORY IS.

When you pitch or submit your screenplay to a producer, agent or initiative like Girls on Film, the logline is your first impression. This means it's your first chance to tell us what your story is. If you do not do that, you may well lose that producer, agent's or reader's interest. Yes, they may still request your script. But I bet you it won't be with the enthusiasm they might had you really "wowed" them with your logline. It also means that, if a reader wants to check back from your script and try and assess what *your* story intentions are, they can't do this if you haven't included a proper logline. It's a double whammy of missed opportunities.

If you really love taglines, there's no reason you can't include one as well. But don't do it INSTEAD OF the logline.

If you don't know the difference between loglines and taglines or want to double-check/see examples, here you go again.

Guest Post: Raising the game - How Fluid Descriptions Can Fuel Your Script

Here's a guest post by the lovely Michelle Goode of Writesofluid – helping you write so fluidly!


Since launching proofreading services alongside script reading services, I've begun to appreciate format and style on a whole new level. It's about more than just spotting a few typos and correcting a few misplaced apostrophes; proofreading your script can highlight some really interesting issues.Repetition. For example, you may not be aware that you are repeating words or phrases throughout your entire script. Your characters may have a penchant for picking up their bag or sitting down. Sure, picking up a bag may be essential to an individual who is off out shopping and sitting down is something we all do. But do they inform the plot? The fact is that, unless that bag is going to end up being used to kill someone or sitting down has an emotional impact; such as it may after a bereavement, they're useless pieces of information.

Raising the game. The more scripts I read, the more impressed I become with the standard of format and style these days. With such great advice so widely available in books and on the internet, there really is no excuse. Now, however, it's a case of raising the game; are your descriptions and dialogues a cut above the rest? More to the point, will your style get you noticed?

Fluidity. Cut out the simple movement descriptions (those pesky obvious ones like opening doors and walking across a room), bland – unless essential to plot - character descriptions (height, colour of jumper) and eliminate any repetitions. You should be left with short, snappy, essential action descriptions... But are they fluid to read?

Visualisations. Some of the best descriptions I've read combine essential info with glorious visualisations, quirky character descriptions and the occasional inner-character thoughts, too. We're talking descriptions which paint the mood of the setting, such as “chalk-like smog drawing a trail across the sky”. Descriptions that tell us character X approaches the job centre, “shoulders hunched with the weight of a poverty-stricken family”. Descriptions that strike a chord or make us laugh/stress along with the characters.

Economising. Put thought into your descriptions; economising needn't mean lifeless sentences but ones which are rich with clues about the location, the ambiance and the characters. However, it is important to remember that interesting descriptions should contribute tone and add to the reader's understanding of the character/situation. They're not a substitute for showing/conveying information – if X has a poor family we'll likely need to see them or at least have a clear understanding through active representation.

Slush pile gunk. Time and time again I read scripts of 120 pages (or more!) with unnecessarily lengthy descriptions, dialogue exchanges and even whole scenes which don't help to progress the plot. Whilst it can be tempting to leave a script as it is after writing, a ruthless cull of any unessential elements will help you sift the gold from the gunk.

Daunting task. It's not easy; much like clearing out well-loved clothes or sentimental objects can be a daunting task for those emotionally attached. Sometimes it takes a fresh pair of eyes to look over your work and to highlight the issues. Writesofluid offers an annotation service for this; I correct those spelling/grammatical errors and spot those repetitions and unnecessary additions for you.

Dressing the story. Story/plot is our golden element and good style dresses a story in its finest. You'll often hear people say that “as long as the idea is good, it doesn't matter what it's written like”. But it does. Story is king, but unless you're being commissioned on the off and have an editor perching on the edge of their seat in anticipation, you'll have to get past the king's guards first.

The gatekeepers. Readers, like directors and producers, will need to be sucked into the world you have created and taken on a journey; a journey to a fulfilling destination. We want that journey to be pleasant with plenty to see and entertain us, but we don't want boring views or delays. Any sign of traffic congestion and the the vehicle – the script – may just run out of momentum.

Don't let your script end up on the scrap heap!
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ABOUT MICHELLE: Michelle Goode is a writer, script reader & editor. Michelle reads for the London Screenwriter's Festival, Girls on Film, New Writing South, Screenplayreaders and private clients via her Writesofluid script reading and editing service. Trained in proofreading and copy-editing by Chapterhouse Publishing, Michelle now offers a range of script and manuscript proofreading services alongside critiquing services. CHECK OUT HER WEBSITE HERE.

Guest Post: Beating Writers' Block by Lucy Pilkington

If you're feeling "blocked", Bang2writer Lucy Pilkington has some exercises she learnt on her screenwriting MA... Enjoy!
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Many writers suffer from this affliction from time to time. As a student I find this happens more often than I wish to admit and it always strikes at the worst times, usually before a deadline. Then panic ensues and I always end up writing drivel. Every time I do this I swear (like many of us do) to myself that next time I will section off more time to write and this time I will stop blaming writers block.

These are some of the ideas I have been given to generate ideas and get your creative juices flowing.

"Animal that wants to become another animal" – This was used as an exercise on my Masters course that I have found useful. Pick three animals. Your ultimate favourite animal, then use the next two of your top ten. For example Jaguar, Dolphin and Cat. Then remove the middle animal so you have just two remaining, the first animal wants to become the third animal using the example the Jaguar wants to be a Cat. Once you have the two animals you can begin free-writing.

Object story – Create a list of random household objects on little pieces of paper fold them up and mix them. Select four out of the mix and use them to create a little narrative, give the character an everyday task to do, washing the dishes or walking the dog. This gives your character a reason to move around and perhaps even change rooms to see all of the objects. This is usually easier to do in the first person but it can work in the third person.

Character pictures – Find a picture of a person, any person, on the internet or in a magazine. Think of a scenario to put this person into this can be as adventurous or mundane as you want. How do they react to this situation? For the first time with this it’s useful to use a situation that you are familiar with so I tend to think leaning to the mundane is more appropriate. If you find it difficult to pick your own picture, or think that you will choose one that will make your life easier it may be better to get an outside party to pick one for you.

Use an object to describe a room – Another exercise used on the Masters degree. Pick an object in a room you remember from your childhood or a later point in your life. Describe the object without stating exactly what it is, then radiate out around the object, where is it in the room? What other objects are next to it? Keep going outwards until you run out of room.

These can be used to stimulate ideas for scripts, novels or poetry. Some of the characters I have generated from these short stories I have developed into characters for scripts or have become a background character. Whatever the outcome they get me writing and hitting my word counts.

ON THIS BLOG BEFORE ABOUT WRITERS' BLOCK/WRITING EXERCISES:

Avoiding Writer's Block by Me

Free Writing by Sam Caine

Gordy Hoffman's Bluecat Workshop Writing Exercises

How To Write A Script Report

A couple of people asked me recently about "templates" for script reports.

In my experience, there is no definitive script report template. When working for script initiatives, screen agencies and some literary agents and production companies I have been supplied with *their* template, sure - but every single one has been quite different. Some are quite short and an "overview"; others are very detailed, with many different sections, some running as long as EIGHT pages when I've filled them in. Some look SOLELY at the story and craft of the screenplay; others look at things "beyond" like potentials for marketing, budget considerations and even Health and Safety issues.

Typically, rounding up what I've seen, *any* script report will *generally* look at the following:

STORY/PREMISE (structure may come under here too)

CHARACTERS (particularly protagonist and antagonist)

DIALOGUE

ARENA

And anything else that warrants attention - most typically things like grammar, spelling, format, etc but also other things that don't fit under the other headings I've already mentioned if appropriate. HOW an individual place does this is another matter. Don't panic - if you get chance to do a script report or intern for a company, they will give you their own report template or tell you what they want.

For those wanting to practice on their own, it may be of interest to know some universities and courses teach script reporting in one thousand words (Bournemouth did, when I was there). Basically the student will be asked to do a 500 words synopsis of the story as it plays out ("a blow by blow account"), then follow it by a 500 word critique of what is/what isn't working. The student could do this for a screenplay or a produced movie.

I think this is a very useful exercise for any writer to take on, even if they don't want to *be* a script reader as it gives them a really good perspective of how a story might play out and how it may be critiqued. As with anything, practice makes perfect.

Here is some sample feedback from The Girls On Film initiative for anyone wanting to see our script reports.

Studiovox

You may have seen Studiovox's invite over on the Bang2writers Facebook page at the beginning of the week, but if not, here it is again. Have a great weekend!
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We’d like to introduce you to StudioVox – The professional social network for creative professionals – and offer Bang2Write readers a private invitation. StudioVox is built from the ground up for creative professionals. It’s not just another profile site. It’s the only social community that encompasses creatives, agencies, industry and fans on a single platform.

Whether you want to promote your work, connect and collaborate with peers, schedule events, send out press releases, or sell your material, StudioVox is the place for you. In fact, StudioVox offers unlimited image and file uploads, so you can express your creativity without restrictions. Watch the intro video here.

Head over to www.studiovox.com and enter this beta code: STVX-bang2writers. We're excited to meet you!

Guest Post: The Importance Of Collaborating & Networking by Scott Baker

Here's a great story from Scott about how you MAKE your own opportunities by getting "out there" and never giving up - enjoy!

It was about August/September time last year where I logged into Talent Circle and found a job advert for a Scriptwriter, I thought to myself: “Am I good enough to apply for it?”

I still classified myself as a “novice” as I’ve been writing for just over a year now and in that time I was really struggling to discover my “VOICE” – what made me unique in my style of writing and storytelling. If you were to know me, (none of you do, I know) I’m a really shy person and would definitely lack the confidence to apply for anything like this opportunity over on Talent Circle. And then I thought to myself “What have I got to lose?” and the answer to that was NOTHING. Besides, we all got to start from somewhere.

So I applied and the surprising thing was that they liked me! I couldn’t believe it. I’m not someone who is familiar with collaboration but this was the first major step-up in my writing career since leaving college. This was also going to be my first attempt at a Feature film as well so that was really exciting. I was not writing an entire feature by myself (I struggled writing a TV Pilot and that was well documented with 50+ unfinished drafts of ONE episode) as there were two other writers with me. The three of us got on like a house on fire and we were right to schedule.

OK – even though this doesn’t have a happy ending as the plug was pulled and the film never progressed from there but what had I gained from this first experience?

Well, firstly, I have got to known and work with two brilliant like-minded people: Noel Rainford and Elinor Perry-Smith (@BrideofChrist.) We’ve just shot a short film entitled FOREVERTOGETHER in which we plan to enter it into the Sundance London Short Film Festival. We’re also planning our next project in which the script is completed, which we plan to develop further into a mini web series. I CANNOT wait to see the outcome of both of these projects and I sincerely hope that I never have a fall-out with either one of these two. I owe them a lot.

Then only last week I did something even more out of character. Over on Twitter, Jeanne Veillette Bowerman tweeted that the makers of BELOW ZERO, a new horror feature starring EDWARD FURLONG (T2: Judgement Day) and MICHEAL BERRYMAN (The Hills Have Eyes) were in need of an INTERN to help promote their film and their new film, BREAKDOWN LANE that will star KRISTIN BOOTH.
I WOULD HAVE NEVER APPLIED FOR THIS but now, I am so glad that I did as the guys are A-MAZ-ING! Signe Olynyk and Bob Schultz the masterminds behind BELOW ZERO as well as The Great American Pitchfest. I can’t wait to see them when they come to the UK as BELOW ZERO will be screening at the DEAD BY DAWN FESTIVAL up in Edinburgh on the 31st March.

The film is doing outstandingly well as it has been awarded with BEST HORROR FILM from the American International Film Festival and BEST HORROR FEATURE FILM from the Independent Filmmakers Showcase Film Festival along with many others. You can find all the details about where BELOW ZERO will be screening and to view the trailer over on its website and why not show your support and follow its official Twitter Page? (I run that page so I beg you, check the trailer out at least.)

I couldn’t possibly imagine that I would have met so many great people, both here in the UK and over in the US at such an early stage at my “career.” I’m a twenty-year-old lad from London who came out of college and into work, who aspires to be a scriptwriter. I was trying to do too much all by myself.

MYSELF is the key word here.

My point that I’m trying to make here is that COLLABORATION and BUILDING YOUR CONTACTS/NETWORK in these times can really help, regardless of the amount of experience you may have. In a space of six months or so, the amount of people that I’ve got to known/got to work with/swapped scripts with for peer-reviewing is unbelievable. To even reach out to filmmakers over in the States is what I class to be a great achievement as ultimately, that’s where I want to go.

I’m a strong believer that we all should set a goal for ourselves in which seems impossible when you set it. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE and there are ways of getting around closed doors when they are slammed constantly in your face. In this industry, we CANNOT CATEGORICALLY DO THIS BY OURSELVES.
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ABOUT SCOTT: Scott wrote his first ever script as apart of his A-Level coursework and hasn't stopped since. He's currently working on three high concept TV series: "Life & Death" which is the love child of THE WALKING DEAD and SUPERNATURAL; "Memory" which focuses on Dementia in Children, Teenagers and Young Adults and "B.I.O" set in a futuristic Ethopia. Find Scott on Twitter here and watch FOREVERTOGETHER here.