Time to Write

How to find your screenwriting voice

Are screenwriters allowed to have a voice or style? 

I say yes, and here's how to find yours:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOLHBFi6ExA

That's a link to a 13-minute video that guides you through the whole process--by the end, you'll know what your style is--or could be.

At the end, I mention an advanced screenwriting course that I'm teaching for four consecutive Mondays, starting on July 19. The hours are 7 pm to 9.30 pm London time, that's 11 am to 1:30 pm Pacific, or 2 pm to 4:30 pm Eastern. It's on Zoom, so you can join us from wherever you are.

All About Fake Business Names for Your Screenplay or Novel

If you ever need a made-up business name for your screenplay or novel (e.g., the company for whom your protagonist works), try using the Oberlo Business Name Generator (it's free). All you have to do is type in one word you want included in the business name. For instance, let's say that I want my protagonist to run a barbershop. Here are some of the names the generator came up with:

Galactic Barbershop

Paramount Barbershop

BlueRibbon Barbershop

Deuce Barbershop

Mainline Barbershop

Barbershop Island

Luxury Barbershop

GoodLife Barbershop

Freestyle Barbershop

Perfection Barbershop

Brilliant Barbershop

Progressive Barbershop

LET THE NAME MATCH THE SETTING OR TONE OF YOUR STORY

Once you have a good selection, narrow the choice by considering which ones best match the setting or tone of the story. A sci-fi story might feature a "Galactic Barbershop," while a noir-type story would be better served by "Deuce Barbershop" and a comedy might find material in the difference between the aspiration suggested by "Perfection Barbershop" and the lack of that perfection in actuality.

CAN YOU USE AN ACTUAL BUSINESS NAME?

When you find one you like (examples below), Google it to check whether it actually exists.

It's OK to use a business name that is common--for instance, I'm sure there are plenty of "Curl Up and Dye" salons. But avoid that if you have set your story in a real location and that business name is in use in that location.

Be especially careful if your fictional business is dishonest or disreputable!

 

Secrets sell books and screenplays

I noticed a pattern today in the "free reads" books featured by Amazon Prime this month. Here are the log lines of a few of them:

"A novel of secrets, memory, family, and forgiveness..."

"A chilling story of a woman with a forgotten past and a town with dark secrets."

"A double homicide and a missing woman lead a detective to unearth disturbing secrets in this gripping thriller..."

"A woman unlocks the mystery of her father's wartime past in a moving novel about secrets, sacrifice, and the power of love..."

THE SELLING POWER OF (SUPPOSED) SECRETS

The theme of secrets shows up a lot in messages from people trying to sell us stuff, too.

They' offer us the secrets of writing a great novel, or having hair that shines, or getting a promotion.

Some of them add a conspiratorial dimension by adding that these are the secrets some "they" don't want you to know.

It seems corny but it must work or else copywriters wouldn't keep using it. We keep falling for it despite repeated disappointments. I've yet to find a book or course that has revealed actual secrets that the Illuminati or anyone else is actively trying to keep me from finding out. 

DON'T KEEP YOUR SECRET A SECRET

In fiction, a big secret in the story suggests that something unexpected will be revealed. We do love to be surprised and in that sense, a plot twist is a kind of secret from the reader or viewer.

Beyond that, being able to incorporate the notion of a secret in your logline may help your project sell.

Obviously it has to fit the story you are telling, but if it is a feature or you can make it one without affecting the integrity of the story, be sure to point it out when you're writing your logline and your query letters.

Does your screenplay or novel story stand out?

The script pipeline is clogged not only with bad scripts but also with OK scripts.

An OK script is the right length, has a story that hangs together, is populated with mostly believable characters, and has no major formatting problems.

OK is not good enough, despite the fact that there are plenty of just OK movies. Many of those started out as better scripts but gradually changed to just OK under the weight of the demands of the actors, the ego of the director, and/or the fear-based decisions of the producer. 

What you need to do is write an outstanding script--as the adjective says, one that stands out. 

That starts with a fresh idea. Yes, it's true there are no totally new stories, but there certainly are fresh ways of telling the old ones. Recent movies I'd put in that category include Jo Jo Rabbit, The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (I"m not making that up, it starred Sam Elliot), Midsommar, Ad Astra, Hustlers, Parasite, Booksmart, Peanut Butter Falcon, Honey Boy, Us, The Lighthouse, Yesterday. I'm not saying these were all the best, but they all had something different about them that made them stand out, and quite a few of them were very good.

What's the difference?

If you analyze the films above, you'll see how they differentiated themselves. That includes:

• Telling the story from an unusual perspective or with an unusual protagonist 
•  Telling a story some might find uncomfortable
• Telling a classic story with a contemporary touch 
• Telling the story of an alternative reality
• Telling a story of emotional extremes

In the best of these films, the level of writing was very good, too. For instance, I thought Booksmart had some of the smartest dialogue I've heard for a while. But it starts with the idea.

Before you commit to your story, take some time to consider whether it stands out from the ordinary. If not, try applying the characteristics above to your core idea. 

A Unique Way to Collaborate

One person wrote a prose poem about the other side of the dark times we're in right now.

He wanted to turn it into a short film.

250 filmmakers from around the world contributed clips and photos.

Ten days later, the four-minute film was ready.

You can watch it here.

What could you accomplish by collaborating with others? 

Good example of a short film made with minimal resources

"Shadowed" is a short (three-minute) horror film made with minimal elements: one actress, a couple of rooms, some shadows and a few special effects (visual and audio).

It's worth a look if you like horror films and especially if you are interested in making short films yourself.

It was made by David F. Sandberg, director of "Never Turn off the Light," and "Annabelle: Creation." He filmed it at home during the Coronavirus quarantine, with his wife, Lotta Losten, as the protagonist. Notice how much of the shock comes from simple sounds.

He used the software programs Blender, fSpy, and After Effects. Access to and experience with that kind of software may be beyond you, but even so I think this is a good example of how you can combine simple elements to good effect.

Is the ending strong enough? It's hard to comment in detail because I don't want to spoil it for you, but let's say that maybe he could have ended it with the penultimate scene--sometimes less is more (this will make sense when you've watched the film).

Also, a minor quibble: wouldn't she make more noise--whimpering, calling out, etc? My guess is he resisted that so that the film would contain only one word, but it bothered me a little while I was watching it.

Anyway, if you've been thinking about making a short film but thought it must be too complicated, let "Shadowed" inspire you to find a simple idea you can turn into an excellent short.