1. skylar-eleventh

    skylar-eleventh New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2015
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    1

    Should I write a novel, screenplay, or comic book if I want my story to be made into a movie?

    Discussion in 'Research' started by skylar-eleventh, Dec 4, 2015.

    What can I do to write my story in a way that can easily be made into a movie?

    I'm not really sure how to separate the chapters and how long everything should be for a 90 - 130 minute movie.

    Are there any resources you would recommend to help me organize my story so that it can easily be translated into a movie?

    I have already decided on the plot and characters but I still need to figure out how it should be organized and how long it should be.

    Thank you!
     
  2. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2008
    Messages:
    7,851
    Likes Received:
    3,339
    Location:
    Boston
    Since the goal here is a movie, I would say screenplay. Keep in mind, however, that the chances of anyone picking up a screenplay by an unknown writer are very, very slim. Your best bet is to use Google to look for any resources related to writing screenplays and getting into the movie business.
     
  3. Mordred85

    Mordred85 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2015
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    75
    I can lead you in the right direction in terms of screenwriting. I've had some short films produced for me in Los Angeles and New York City. I'm also very familiar with writing full-length scripts and the kind of people and proposals you will run into. When it comes to writing and publishing literature, I may be somewhat of an amateur, but I have an entire arsenal of knowledge when it comes to filmmaking.
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2015
  4. skylar-eleventh

    skylar-eleventh New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2015
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    1
    Thank you for the advice. I will look more into how screenplays are written. I know that chances of it being made into a movie are very slim but I'm confident in my idea. I would definitely like to give it a try even if it never becomes a movie :)
     
  5. skylar-eleventh

    skylar-eleventh New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2015
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    1
    Any tips would be appreciated. As of now, I know very little about writing screenplays. I need to learn about the fundamentals. Also, I have always found it very confusing to plan out the structure of the story. For example, how many chapters should I write and how long should they be? How can I determine the number of pages I need to write in order for the story to be translated to a full movie?
     
  6. Mordred85

    Mordred85 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2015
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    75
    You should probably try to write a 5 minute short screenplay just to understand the format and how the length is calculated. Look up "screen-writing format". If you don't have any program to write scripts with yet, try looking up 'Celtx'. It's an excellent tool and FREE to use. I swear by it and please don't let anyone tell you about "industry standards" and Final Draft being the only answer. That's the last thing a producer cares about. Speaking from experience, if someone who uses Final Draft loves your script so bad, they will have absolutely no problem converting it using Final Draft with a few clicks.

    This helps you understand a very common script structure using the 5 plot points. I'm sure you'll find it interesting if you haven't really researched acts, sequences, etc. I hope this makes you do more research on google, because understanding the fundamentals are important.


    Screenplays usually follow a minute-per-page rule, and if you use something like Celtx, it'll basically automatically break the page when it's time.

    When it comes to getting a script produced, regardless of whoever you're working for, the most attractive thing to the producer/director will be the budget. If you don't have any money to finance the production yourself, it's definitely a hard sell. Just try to minimize budget in your script. Limit locations, characters, special effects, etc. Even if you assume a certain calculation, people like to exaggerate the living shit out of the actual cost because there needs to be money available for if and when things go wrong. I can go on forever, but just take things in one at a time. Search and work on the fundamentals and if you have any more questions, feel free to message me.
     
    skylar-eleventh likes this.
  7. skylar-eleventh

    skylar-eleventh New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2015
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    1


    Thank you! I will start working with the info on this video. I definitely need to learn the basics about getting the story organized for a screenplay book. I will also try follow the a minute-per-page rule but I'm a little confused about it. I can't calculate how much writing fits in one page because I don't know how big the page is or what the font size is. Do you have any idea how many words are in a typical one-minute page?
     
  8. Mordred85

    Mordred85 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2015
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    75
    You don't have to stress the one-minute per page rule. A script supervisor is going to time how long it takes to read each page of yours, but generally it's safe to assume each page is a minute. Especially if you're using a screenwriting program like the ones I mentioned. The programs pretty much format your writing as you enter a character name, parenthetical, act, fade in/out, etc. I usually write somewhat of a script looking format in a composition book and when I'm ready, I'll edit it and go into Celtx as I type in the final product. Scripts are subject to change whenever and however the director/producer of your project sees fit. If they don't like your changes or if you refuse to compromise, they can easily drop your script and move on to the next slave/writer.

    Thinking about what you're planning on doing. Look into optioning a script. I've had a friend who got lucky and wrote a full-length martial arts script. It was never made, but there are some production companies that pay you per month to keep the rights of production for your script. So, if they keep it for 3 years and decide they don't want to make it, you'll still be getting paid whatever it is they agreed on per month. I think they're still paying her today and this happened maybe 2 years ago. Just an idea, because I know it can get very frustrating when trying to find the right people to bring your script to life. This is no easy route to take. Screenwriting is probably the easiest in terms of getting a movie made based on your writing. Unless, you're the next best-selling author and they see a reason for adapting your next novel.

    This is from an article I found...

    Fortunately, software like Final Draft, Movie Magic, Celtx, and others will do the heavy lifting for you.

    Here are the basics:



    12-point Courier font
    • 1.5 inch left margin
    • 1 inch right margin (between .5 inches and 1.25 inches), ragged
    • 1 inch top and bottom margins
    • Approximately 55 lines per page, regardless of paper size (top and bottom margins adjusted accordingly). This does not include the page number, or spaces after it.
    • Dialogue speaker names (in all caps) 3.7 inches from left side of page (2.2 from margin)
    • Dialogue 2.5 inches from left side of page (1.5 from margin)
    • Pages should be numbered in the top right corner, flush to the right margin, a half-inch from the top of the page. Numbers should be followed by a period. The first page is not numbered. The title page is neither numbered nor does it count as page one, so the first page to have a number is the second page of the screenplay (third sheet of paper, including the title page), which is numbered 2.
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2015
    skylar-eleventh likes this.
  9. skylar-eleventh

    skylar-eleventh New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2015
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    1
    Thank you! This is some great information. I will definitely look into the software you mentioned and I will work with the page specifications that you provided. Also, this is my first time hearing about optioning a script but it's a good idea that's worth trying. Right now, I'm still trying to decide whether to make it into a screenplay or a comic book but I will need to see what resources are necessary for each. Either way, both are two sides of the same coin.
     
    Mordred85 likes this.
  10. Mordred85

    Mordred85 Active Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2015
    Messages:
    205
    Likes Received:
    75
    Just trying to help, I speak from experience and my heart. I understand how it feels to have this idea and not know which path to take with it.
     
    skylar-eleventh likes this.
  11. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

    Joined:
    Jun 7, 2015
    Messages:
    2,403
    Likes Received:
    1,647
    Location:
    [unspecified]
    From my experience in getting a movie made...

    Find an ambitous friend who does special effects.

    Wait until he talks a producer into hiring him (and his partner--that'll be you) to write their next movie. Go with your SFX buddy to meetings, have arguments with producers and the director, write three drafts for shitty money, get fired, go to the premiere after most of the stuff you wrote got replaced by ad-lib lines written between takes by the actors.

    Get cheesed off because your writing credit is the last name in a list of six (even though you were the primary writer and know three of those bastards should only have a story credit).

    Oh, yes, and enjoy the one scene you wrote that actually made it into the movie but now makes no sense in context.

    Fend off phone calls from relatives who want to borrow money by saying, "It was all gone after I paid the rent."

    But it starred Mark Hamill!

    THE END

    First Sequel: Try to get an agent and get told that 1) it's good that you wrote a movie that got made, but 2) the company has such a horrible reputation, you'll be better off not mentioning it... ever.

    Second Sequel: Ten years later, collect royalties from sales in Germany and France, but it's only enough to cover repairs to your car... which you sell six months later as scrap.
     
    Last edited: Dec 14, 2015
    Mordred85 likes this.
  12. Dagolas

    Dagolas Banned

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2012
    Messages:
    642
    Likes Received:
    68
    Location:
    France
    We can't possibly answer if we don't know anything about the story.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice