For the past four years my work has centered in the field of screenwriting, an area of every growing interest in the writing arts. Writing scripts for film affords one the luxury of sticking to the story. In a strange sense, the screenwriter does not have to sweat the details. A golden beach on the Pacific warmed in the rays of the setting sun becomes:
EXT. PACIFIC BEACH - DAY
That is not to say you can ignore the detail. You MUST do the research before you write. You MUST have the full picture in your mind before you offer word one. But what you MUST understand is that screenwriting is a collaboration.
Your vision is not the total vision. The director, cinematographer, producer, talent, soundmen, and even the producer's assitant's secretary will have something to offer in regards to your original vision, and, quite possible, something to offer that will improve (how can this be?) your original vision. The only way to get along in the movie biz is to keep an open mind and cooperate!
It takes dedication to break into this industry. Dedication and luck. We newcomers need to keep in mind that our worst enemy is discouragement. Unless you have an Uncle in the business or have had the pleasure to have attended film school (contacts! Ah, contacts!), the road to success is query letter, research, and, of course, the contest route. And most of all, the ability to keep pounding the keyboard without the promise of success. This is, perhaps, the most difficult aspect.
It will take luck (talent is presumed) to place your script on the desk of a studio exec, but remember, the more work you produce, the greater your luck will be.
Presently I have three completed screenplays, one television pilot, a few shorts, and a number of works in progress. I have served as a script doctor on a musical for stage. I have also served as editor and story consultant for two novelist, one's work is making the rounds with publishers and the other's is nearing completion. My past credits include a newspaper column, a comic strip for a regional newspaper, magazine contributions, and editing assignments for several local publications.
In screenwriting, time is compressed. You are not allowed the luxury
of painting a rich sensuous scene filled with fascinating details. Motion
pictures are exactly what their name implies. Motion.
It is essential to start the action from the first scene of your story.
The action--not necessarily the plot. Often it is desirable and necessary
to introduce your main character before your plot begins to unfold. You’re
job as a screenwriter is to find a way to do this in a method which reveals
the essential nature of your main character, that underlying core of his
being.
For instance, a story about a Mafia hitman who finds religion could
begin with the shooter on his way to a contract hit racing out into a busy
intersection to save a cat from certain flattening. The man’s underlying
nature is revealed without a single word of dialog.
Take a look in my notebook
for a comparative example contrasting jumping right into the plot line
versus using a short sequence to reveal the character of your protagonist
before she or he becomes involved in the plot line.
Think creatively. Be creative. The world is full of clich_. Let your
character be the unique being that only you could create, and introduce
him in an exciting, meaningful way. This is the essence of screenwriting.
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