I have a script! ...now what?

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Andy Graham

being prepared is certainly not fantasy filmmaking..... the process of making a film will be much more valuable to him than the quality of the outcome. You could spend 5 years perfecting a script or you could spend 5 years making movies. I don't care how long you spend on the script, if its your first attempt at a movie its most likely gonna turn out bad (again no offense Terry, that was a generalisation)

This is low budget indie filmmaking we're talking about not mainstream....its gonna gain him real filmmaking experience not get him a house on the hollywood hills .And if you sell your script GREAT you don't have to lift a finger......i personally would use the money to fund my next script.


Andy.

True, being prepared isn't fantasy filmmaking, also, in reality are most scripts won't get made into films. However, you do need to invest a lot of time getting a feature film script together and poor films tend to be underdeveloped films.

The five years that a producer could be involved not only includes the shooting time, but the year or two working on the script and getting the production funding, plus all the work after production is finished dealing with the legal stuff that keeps coming back. They could spend many years getting the funding in place. A year or two is worth investing in a feature film script - that's pretty average by the time the process is finshed.

He was mentioning the getting the script made with a reasoniable budget, rather than low budget.

Oh, one thing, given that Terry mightn't know this, make sure the script is correctly formatted, otherwise they won't even start reading it. People do hand in scripts in all states, including handwritten and not having it correct looks unprofessional and given a big pile of scripts in front of them, a reader will just move onto the next one if it's not correctly formatted.

[Marco Leavitt]

Brian is so right about the formatting. It has to be perfect, or it gets tossed. The script also has to be great, or it gets tossed. In fact, every page has to be great. What they are going to do is glance at the first page to look at the formatting, and then flip through it. If every page they flip to is compelling, they'll read it. If not, it gets tossed.

[Andy Graham]

you know i'll be back to comment when im not seein double....good luck children.......yeah....good tip don't drink when your filmmakin.....its good fun just not that productive. sorry folks listn to his post... he's right you know ......don't make a film.....whatever .....i'll keep doing it....who really cares

Andy,

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Andy Graham

you know i'll be back to comment when im not seein double....good luck children.......yeah....good tip don't drink when your filmmakin.....its good fun just not that productive. sorry folks listn to his post... he's right you know ......don't make a film.....whatever .....i'll keep doing it....who really cares

Andy,

There's a world of difference between making films basically for yourself and the process that Terry was hinting at in his original when he asked about having his script made into a film with a decent budget. In the latter case, you have to attract other people to your story so much that they want to run through hoops with it and that is often a frustrating business with many a bloody nose from hitting those brick walls.

I wouldn't stop anyone wishing to make films, but to progress to larger budgets you do start dealing with these people. Time spent on shot lists, call sheets and shooting schedules is better spent re-working the script, those other processes kick in during the pre-production stage rather than the development stage.

From their experience British Screen, who used to fund script development in the UK, found out that of 200 well written professional scripts only 1 had that something that would make it successful.

[Andy Graham]

OK Brian , im hungover....scottish or brittish screen are not filmmakers ...in fact they are no where near filmmakers, they are infact the anti christ....belive me i'm not just an un experienced idiot with an opinion.

Brian i love the romance of filmmaking as much as the next ill informed person that wants to make a film but to be honest they have no chance.

You need money, a good hi def camera , a good script and lets say talent ....why not . im even gonna have a burgger van on set for a month with free food for cast and crew ...these are the problems of an indie filmmaker not the script

if you want to know how i deal with it have a look here.....picking the scene and filming it that i suggested.....and im happy with the feedback. theres behind the scenes pics and everything.....the live digital link is busted by the way, pick the high rez download....and btw i got rid of the crapy writing at the end.....good user feedback.....they told me it was s@@t, and they're right

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=108226

K im gonna go into the foetus position now and watch scrubs on line.......wot a program

take care

Andy.

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Andy Graham

OK Brian , im hungover....scottish or brittish screen are not filmmakers ...in fact they are no where near filmmakers, they are infact the anti christ....belive me i'm not just an un experienced idiot with an opinion.

I agree that they are or were (in the British Screen case) just funding organisations with their own agendas. You have to have made some films even to get on their radar. I wouldn't call them the anti christ... I know too many line producers to call them that. However, you do have to go through that mile of s*%t from the Shawshank Redemption getting yourself to some sort of profile that appears on their radar.

All these organisations are like that and you do have to dig deep into your own pockets at times. However, as a filmmaker, you have to know how to work these organisations, just like any other business looking for seed money.

However, I would say that the British Screen percentage isn't far off. I know one drama producer who was sent 400 scripts, none of which were suitable to be optioned.

Sorry, didn't get a chance to look at the promo, the file is pretty large and unfortunately I didn't have time to download. Good luck with that, I've been there making films (16mm in my case) without any funding.

[Andy Graham]

Lol, cheers brian, you should download it sometime id like your opinion....leave it downloading some day........and dont judge me on the acting, we're gonna get american or canadian actors for the film its self.

Anyway poor old Terry is probably put off filmmaking for good..... i'll put the nail in the coffin.......even if you get funding for your script youll get shafted by the distributor and investors :) they need to get every penny back before you make any money.....the only worth while thing you get out of the deal is a nice shiny imdb page and the chance to work again which in my opinion is a great thing.

good luck Terry

[Andy Graham]

Originally Posted by Marco Leavitt

Brian is so right about the formatting. It has to be perfect, or it gets tossed. The script also has to be great, or it gets tossed. In fact, every page has to be great.

Come on, you'd think it was brain surgery or somethin.......schindlers list was a great movie, the god fathers were great........then they made XXX 2, i mean that was made for millions.......theres a list as long as both my arms of terrible films made for millions, why do the indie films have to be "perfect".....i'll settle for a straight to dvd deal no probs.

You need to stop thinking about hollywood and red carpets and premiers cause it just doesnt happen unless your one of the top elite.....or just lucky. fortunately you can still make films and make a decent living.....eventually

I think i mentioned on page 1 of this post about a film called five acros the eyes........watch that and tell me again about perfecting your script.

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Andy Graham

Come on, you'd think it was brain surgery or somethin.......schindlers list was a great movie, the god fathers were great........then they made XXX 2, i mean that was made for millions.......theres a list as long as both my arms of terrible films made for millions, why do the indie films have to be "perfect".....i'll settle for a straight to dvd deal no probs.

You need to stop thinking about hollywood and red carpets and premiers cause it just doesnt happen unless your one of the top elite.....or just lucky. fortunately you can still make films and make a decent living.....eventually

I think i mentioned on page 1 of this post about a film called five acros the eyes........watch that and tell me again about perfecting your script.

I'd say one thing about a good script, it attracts the talent and the names help to sell the production. Sure there are terrible films that sell on the basis of the DVD cover art work, but I don't think most people here want their films to be one of them.

Writing a script mightn't be brain surgery, but writing a great one can be as demanding as any other high end skill. However, there's a point with anything when it's good enough for the purpose in hand and you can make regardless of the flaws. Fortunately, good actors can rescue things to some extent - common enough on quite a a few TV dramas.

Re-writing isn't perfection, it's just making things better.

[Andy Graham]

I agree that a good script will attract good actors however most actors (at least the ones iv dealt with) don't have the vision of what your trying to make......i bet cat woman sounded like a good idea to halle berry, how could she have predicted that that film would have been s@@t.

Which kind of brings me back to the shot list and shooting schedule......during this horrible process you become so involved with the film that you know every shot inside out. You NEED that kind of intimate knowlage of your film to direct and inspire others and to just know your getting everything you need.

As Frank said anyone on here that expects their film to make it to the big time is seriously livin in the clouds. I would love to have a film in blockbuster that only gets hired cause of the art work......by the time they've seen it and said "that was s@@t" they've already rented it and paid the money!. Its realistic filmmaking, im the type of guy that would rather have ten un succesfull films and one straight to dvd film than a perfect script, no experience and nothing to show for it. Every time you make a film you get better thats why you just do it script be damned and eventually you will make good films. The trick is staying in the game.

Andy.........hangovers gettin better by the way :)

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Andy Graham

I agree that a good script will attract good actors however most actors (at least the ones iv dealt with) don't have the vision of what your trying to make......i bet cat woman sounded like a good idea to halle berry, how could she have predicted that that film would have been s@@t.

Which kind of brings me back to the shot list and shooting schedule......during this horrible process you become so involved with the film that you know every shot inside out. You NEED that kind of intimate knowlage of your film to direct and inspire others and to just know your getting everything you need.

Andy.........hangovers gettin better by the way :)

Glad the hangovers are improving.

I think actors are more interested in the characters and their relationships within the scene, plus how that fits in the story and the character's overall arc. Most actors aren't that interested in shot lists, only how each shot relates to their character, how they portray them and making sure they hit their marks.

I would get the full story onto the page, then do the breakdowns once it's locked into the shooting draft. You can often sense the shots from how the action slugs are written, but doing the actual shot list in the middle of script writing is taking your eye of the ball when you, as the writer, should be "inside each character's head" or "listening to their voices". Once that's sorted, the shot list just jumps out, because you then know what you need to see in order show the story beats and to tell the character's stories.

On course the actors will have their own take on the characters and that's why casting is so important. You want actors who bring that extra something.

If a film is going to be good or bad is 80% decided before the shooting begins, when the scripting, casting (including the crew members) are put into place.

[Andy Graham]

I think we're both on the same page, its just when he asked what the next step was he was talking hypothetically when his script is ready which is why i said start pre production........i think Terry's tuned out lol.

[Andy Graham]

Hello again, Brian i see your a steadicam op (i googled you :)), me too, noticed there is a jump from like 1979 to 2005 or somethin.......do you still work? if so it would be good to know your rates cause i don't know if im gonna have the time to do it myself on our next film.

Early doors at the moment.......lol we're at the shot list and shooting schedule stage ;).



Andy.

[Brian Drysdale]

Originally Posted by Andy Graham

Hello again, Brian i see your a steadicam op (i googled you :)), me too, noticed there is a jump from like 1979 to 2005 or somethin.......do you still work? if so it would be good to know your rates cause i don't know if im gonna have the time to do it myself on our next film.

Early doors at the moment.......lol we're at the shot list and shooting schedule stage ;).



Andy.

Steadicam is one of things I do. Yes, I still operate - booked for a job this coming week.

LOL Not everything is on the internet.

[Terry Lee]

Bill,

I think now that my comment was based more upon the fact that I see your thought processes closely related to mine.