Hi Subscribers!
Thank you for subscribing. Here is some news—Cineshots! I’ve been attending these workshops (very cheap!) and have gained so much great information about the industry and techniques to build on my writing.
Here are some important words I took home at the last workshop with mentor and screenwriter Paul Guay:
Allow yourself to brainstorm without editing yourself. You have to put everything out there even if it doesn’t make sense.
Outlines are a guideline, they can change.
Write, rewrite, rewrite and rewrite. Get your script as good as it can get before you distribute, don’t burn bridges.
Arc; reveal character, allow them to change through script.
Hook with your idea and then worry about how to go about writing it. Concept is essential. The higher the concept the more engaging it will be and the longer it will last for audiences to come.
A good tagline is like having people picture the poster for your film.
Be an idea-generating person: Constantly write down or record your ideas.
Always be on top of who you are. It’s too competitive not to.
Know your genre! (My genre is dramatic thriller with comedic elements)
If you hit all these with your screenplay, you got something that people want to see: “Write what you love. + Know and write what you can write well. + Write what there is a market for.”
My words: Okay, so the last one, “Write what there is a market for” is not so much for indie filmmakers that are not seeking Hollywood representation. However, I think writing knowing the film you can afford to produce yourself or knowing that you have an irresistible hook you can sell to funders that will be compelled to invest in your work is a good conversation to have in the back of your mind. Remember, screenplays are blueprints and they are investments from your soul, they are the opportunity to collaborate with other talented and creative-minded people. It’s about building companionship. Creating is an inevitable force that will speak to generations beyond!
A mortal inclined to immortal philosophical notions think of death at every moment, death is a constant. And, I’m convinced all of us writers are “immortalists.” That being said, celebrate in what you can do today, build the relationships you can now and fucking cherish them. Weave your life in writing! Share your stories! Write your screenplay, script, novel, short, flash, poem, and etc. It’s never too late and it’s never too soon.
Here is what TalNexus had to say about the second part of Cineshots:
CineShot - Outlines
(Part II of a Four Part Series)
On September 21, TalNexus held the second of our four-part CineShot series with industry professionals sharing knowledge and working with participants on their projects. Part two was all about Outlines and getting into the nitty gritty of the story with longtime TalNexus mentor Paul Guay. The screenwriter behind the Jim Carrey blockbuster Liar Liar and the family classic The Little Rascals among others.
Paul shared the ins-and-outs navigating a business that is currently in love with re-boots, re-makes, and re-imaginings, how to act and react when taking meetings, and what stories are worth working on (Answer: stories that you love, that you can write well, and that there is a market for.)
After the break, Paul gave extremely detailed and honest feedback on three submitted outlines. Outlines written by three different participants who were brave enough to receive public feedback on their work.
As always , afterwards everyone continued their conversations as food & drink were served for the remainder of the event.
Participants, current and new, will be back October 19th for Part III - The Table Read. Where mentors Sara Anne Fox and Dean Batali will conduct a read-thru of actual pages submitted by attendees.
Photos by Matt Edwards
