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Zero11 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Zero11 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Screenwriting questions! Ask here.
    Posted: 27 Mar 2023 at 11:31pm
Hey. I see that there are a lot of newbies on here. I thought I would start a thread, so you can ask any quick questions you have on screenplay formatting. 

Just post your question on here, and maybe someone will have an answer. 

I'll start.

1. Locations. If I am writing a historical fiction, should I specify the specific location... if that location doesn't really matter in the filming? For example, if my story starts in a German workshop, but most of the film doesn't... do I need to say INT. GERMAN WORKSHOP, or more specifically INT. BERLIN WORKSHOP? Or is OK to just say it generally WORKSHOP? In my situation, this part could be filmed anywhere. It doesn't have to be filmed in Berlin. It's just where my script opens. What do you think?

2. Music. I want to include music from songs written in the late 1800s, early 1900s. 111 years old. I don't need it to be a specific "recording". In fact, I would just like to have specific instruments play the song, which could be done by a bunch of high schoolers, for all I care. BUT... is it OK to name the specific songs in my script? How do I find out if it is OK to name a classical composer... or the writer of a popular song in the late 1800s? What if my historical fiction is about music specifically? Wouldn't I need to name the songs, especially if they are important to history? 




Edited by Zero11 - 27 Mar 2023 at 11:34pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nickwascreative Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2023 at 12:09am
Great idea, Zero!

I'm no expert, but I can still impart my thoughts and hope there's something in it to guide you!

1. Location -- I think the only reason why you'd need to specify if the workshop was in Germany, or more specifically Berlin, would be if that was integral to the story. If it doesn't matter what country/city it's located, then what about this location IS important? Could you offer more details about what type of workshop it is in this heading (and save you a word or three from the action lines)? Is it a clean or messy workshop? Is it a weapons workshop? An abandoned workshop? An industrial workshop? A make-sh*t workshop?

2. Music -- I typically avoid including music in my scripts due to similar questions like these haha. One thing I know, if it's in the public domain, have at it! Something else to consider: will the reader know the music? Is the song well-known enough for someone to get the reference right away and not trip up the reading experience? Also, when it comes down to it, I don't think it REALLY matters until you go to film this script. I would suggest not letting the music hinder your writing process for this contest and just toss in what music you need to help push the story. Once the contest is done and you've written a badass script that you want to film, then you could spend the time researching and replacing any songs that are a no-go for distribution/licensing reasons.

I hope this insight helps. Again, I'm no expert, so please take everything I say with a shovel of salt!

Happy writing!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zero11 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2023 at 12:21am
Originally posted by nickwascreative nickwascreative wrote:

Great idea, Zero!

I'm no expert, but I can still impart my thoughts and hope there's something in it to guide you!

1. Location -- I think the only reason why you'd need to specify if the workshop was in Germany, or more specifically Berlin, would be if that was integral to the story. If it doesn't matter what country/city it's located, then what about this location IS important? Could you offer more details about what type of workshop it is in this heading (and save you a word or three from the action lines)? Is it a clean or messy workshop? Is it a weapons workshop? An abandoned workshop? An industrial workshop? A make-sh*t workshop?

2. Music -- I typically avoid including music in my scripts due to similar questions like these haha. One thing I know, if it's in the public domain, have at it! Something else to consider: will the reader know the music? Is the song well-known enough for someone to get the reference right away and not trip up the reading experience? Also, when it comes down to it, I don't think it REALLY matters until you go to film this script. I would suggest not letting the music hinder your writing process for this contest and just toss in what music you need to help push the story. Once the contest is done and you've written a badass script that you want to film, then you could spend the time researching and replacing any songs that are a no-go for distribution/licensing reasons.

I hope this insight helps. Again, I'm no expert, so please take everything I say with a shovel of salt!

Happy writing!

Thanks. Good idea about the music! Round 1 of NYCM gives me permission to stomp on the director's toes. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2023 at 2:40am

I would just say workshop in the scene heading, though you could put the berlin in there as well,
but as that is not going to transfer onto the screen, then it might behoove you to put it in a Super? that might include the date as well as Berlin workshop. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mistressposte Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2023 at 10:13am
Originally posted by Zero11 Zero11 wrote:

Hey. I see that there are a lot of newbies on here. I thought I would start a thread, so you can ask any quick questions you have on screenplay formatting. 

Just post your question on here, and maybe someone will have an answer. 

I'll start.

1. Locations. If I am writing a historical fiction, should I specify the specific location... if that location doesn't really matter in the filming? For example, if my story starts in a German workshop, but most of the film doesn't... do I need to say INT. GERMAN WORKSHOP, or more specifically INT. BERLIN WORKSHOP? Or is OK to just say it generally WORKSHOP? In my situation, this part could be filmed anywhere. It doesn't have to be filmed in Berlin. It's just where my script opens. What do you think?

2. Music. I want to include music from songs written in the late 1800s, early 1900s. 111 years old. I don't need it to be a specific "recording". In fact, I would just like to have specific instruments play the song, which could be done by a bunch of high schoolers, for all I care. BUT... is it OK to name the specific songs in my script? How do I find out if it is OK to name a classical composer... or the writer of a popular song in the late 1800s? What if my historical fiction is about music specifically? Wouldn't I need to name the songs, especially if they are important to history? 



Naming a composer is not an issue if it's just a script - if you were producing the film, you'd have to be careful. However, fair use is allowed for anything published 70+ years after the composer's death, so you should be golden to use whatever you want. The issue is sometimes with a recording of the song - if the London Symphony Orchestra record a version of an ancient song, though the song itself is free to use, that specific version/recording will belong to the LSO, and so you'd probably have to pay a license fee to them.  I googled popular songs during that period and was actually surprised at the number of recognisable songs - amazing grace, swing low sweet chariot, fur elise and clair de la lune - and a list of instruments that were popular. I think you should feel free to play. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mistressposte Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2023 at 10:13am
I'm thinking of writing the story idea and then converting it into a screenplay. Does that sound bonkers to you? or is that how you're all doing it?!


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote soakinscott Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2023 at 11:13am
Thanks for the thread. Question I have...

If you have an exterior scene--in this case I have a large section of the script in an outdoor courtyard--how should one break up the scenes within the larger/broader exterior scene. 

As of now, what I'm doing is I'm writing 

EXT. COURTYARD-STAGE-DAY

EXT. COURTYARD-FRONT ROW-DAY

EXT. COURTYARD-STAGE RIGHT-DAY

Etc. etc...does that make sense or do people have other ideas on how to properly format scenes within scenes? 

And lastly, can you rely on the readers to sense the chronology of this larger scene because it remains in the courtyard or do I need to keep writing (CONT.) to indicate it's a continuation? 


Edited by soakinscott - 28 Mar 2023 at 11:13am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jennk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2023 at 11:27am
Originally posted by mistressposte mistressposte wrote:

I'm thinking of writing the story idea and then converting it into a screenplay. Does that sound bonkers to you? or is that how you're all doing it?!


This is my first time writing a screenplay and I finished my first draft last night. The full idea, including the ending, came to me on the first night, and the next day I wrote out a brief description of all the scenes. Each description was just a line or two. Over the last three days, I wrote three or four scenes a day. Although I have plenty of rewriting, editing and tweaking ahead of me, my script is just over 11 pages. 

In the past, I’ve been less organizing when writing flash or a short story. My ideas are always too ambitious for the word limit, and I spend a lot of time cutting. Now I see the joy of being organized on the front end, and I plan to adopt that strategy when writing stories in the future.




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote mistressposte Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2023 at 11:33am
Originally posted by Jennk Jennk wrote:

Originally posted by mistressposte mistressposte wrote:

I'm thinking of writing the story idea and then converting it into a screenplay. Does that sound bonkers to you? or is that how you're all doing it?!


This is my first time writing a screenplay and I finished my first draft last night. The full idea, including the ending, came to me on the first night, and the next day I wrote out a brief description of all the scenes. Each description was just a line or two. Over the last three days, I wrote three or four scenes a day. Although I have plenty of rewriting, editing and tweaking ahead of me, my script is just over 11 pages. 

In the past, I’ve been less organizing when writing flash or a short story. My ideas are always too ambitious for the word limit, and I spend a lot of time cutting. Now I see the joy of being organized on the front end, and I plan to adopt that strategy when writing stories in the future.



I think blocking out the scenes is a good idea - at the moment I'm down a rabbit hole of famous heists and getting caught up in the dialogue, without a firm grasp of the actual scenes. Thanks! 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zero11 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Mar 2023 at 2:17pm
Originally posted by soakinscott soakinscott wrote:

Thanks for the thread. Question I have...

If you have an exterior scene--in this case I have a large section of the script in an outdoor courtyard--how should one break up the scenes within the larger/broader exterior scene. 

As of now, what I'm doing is I'm writing 

EXT. COURTYARD-STAGE-DAY

EXT. COURTYARD-FRONT ROW-DAY

EXT. COURTYARD-STAGE RIGHT-DAY

Etc. etc...does that make sense or do people have other ideas on how to properly format scenes within scenes? 

And lastly, can you rely on the readers to sense the chronology of this larger scene because it remains in the courtyard or do I need to keep writing (CONT.) to indicate it's a continuation? 

Would "Series of Shots" work for this? 
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