C. Script
A note on scriptwriting: There is an industry standard for writing scripts. Forget it. Unless you are trying to sell your script to Hollywood, it doesn’t matter. Write your story. Put words on a page. You can’t direct a blank sheet of paper. (technically, you can’t direct paper with words on it either, you direct the actors who read the words off the page, but… shut up.) The script is for you and your actors. As long as it is clear who is speaking and what is going on, it doesn’t matter how you format your script. Write it on napkins with colored pencils for all I care. Just have some idea of where the story is going and write it down.
OK, I REALLY wanted to respond to this little blurb posted above. As someone who is both a scriptwriter and a production person, even on small crew projects, I find this to be very much not true. The formatting exists not just for Hollywood scripts to look professional, it exists because it creates an easy way for someone to take the script and turn it into a movie. The formatting helps us identify elements quickly, such as props and cast members, it helps us figure out how much we can film each day, and it also helps us figure out what will need to be compromised or reworked on set.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL THE SHOOT IS. Learning how to read and understand script format helps make any shoot smoother in terms of production. No one wants to work on their friend’s film that’s a total disaster with missing props and continuity errors for free for 18 hours a day on the weekends. If you’re going to do small projects, that’s awesome… but organization is important and it begins with a well-formatted script. Write all the notes you want to the actors, but don’t hand anyone else working for free credit and bananas on your movie a napkin written in colored pencils. In film production, total fucking chaos caused from an unreadable or unfinished script is often the LEAST fun thing to experience.
Source: platypus-underground
Notes
OMG IT'S A FILM PRODUCTION BLOG
Assistant Directors don't always yell. Sometimes we write about stuff. Because I'm a workaholic, I sometimes feel the need to document the things I see and the questions that are raised while going through the most insane process of making a director's dreams come true. About me: My name is Michelle. I am a (currently) non-union First Assistant Director working out of Austin, TX. I hope to one day join the DGA and direct my own scripts on the side, but until that time comes... Got questions? Comments? Complaints? A project you want me to AD? (I'm cheap!) Email me at - goingforpicture@gmail.com You can also find me on the good ol' twitter - twitter.com/m0thra
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