Script Writing

Script Writing Secrets: http://www.scriptwritingsecrets.com/contents.htm

Show it don't tell it, and don't direct it... unless you have to!

IMPORTANT NOTES

As a writer, your goal is to tell a story, that will be seen not read. But before it is bought, it'll be read, not seen. So, you have to tell it in a way that makes the reader "see" it. And you want them to feel like they're seeing a movie, not a slide show.

"Telling" most often refers to characters who describe something we could just as well see. If they're describing a past event, we might, instead see it in a flashback. If they're talking about another character doing something, it might be more interesting to see the other character do it. If a character says, "I love you," would it be more interesting to see the character gently kiss his love on the forehead and place a rose petal on her lips as he leaves. If a picture tells 1000 words, a moving picture tells 10 times that!

TITLE PAGE

The first thing that a reader should see when they look at your script is the Title Page. A Title Page is nothing special! More specifically, don't make your Title Page special in any way. Don't use graphics. Don't use colored paper. Don't put a photo of your dog or cat on the Title Page. Just put the bare necessities on there in plain old 12 point Courier.

In the center of the page:

• The script's title
• Your name

In the lower right corner:

• Your address or your agent's/manager's contact information

In the lower left corner:

• If you've registered your script with the Writers Guild, it's okay to add a line that says "Registered, WGA"
• You might also add a copyright notification like "© 1998, Me"

A script example of the new Max Payne Movie: