IT’S ALL A BLUR
by Sandra Jones
Feature Script
Left for dead, transgender teen Alex finds her way back to life and unknowingly back into the lives of the two classmates who believe she is dead and forgotten.
Screenplay of the Day
Tips to write the best LOGLINES and SYNOPSIS for your story/screenplay
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LOGLINES AND SYNOPSIS
FILMMAKING NOTES
The art of conveying both your story’s concept and theme, and tell the full arc of the story.
LOGLINES
Here is a template LOGLINE you can use – just fill in the blanks:
(TITLE) is a (GENRE) about a (DESCRIPTION OF HERO), who after (INCITING EVENT), wants to (OUTER GOAL) by (PLAN OF ACTION). This becomes increasingly difficult because (OBSTACLES AND COMPLICATIONS)
OR
(TITLE) is a (GENRE) about a (DESCRIPTION OF HERO) who must (OUTER GOAL) or else (DIRE THINGS WILL HAPPEN)
To pitch your screenplay effectively, you need to have a compelling and clear LOGLINE and SYNOPSIS. In order to write one, you must have a clear understanding of your script.
When writing your logline, try to answer these questions:
1) What is my concept? My main conflict and story?
2) What is my theme? What am I trying to say with this script?
3) What is the genre?
4) What is the beginning, middle and end?
Overall, the LOGLINE needs to convey the full arc of your story. Three sentences, max.
SYNOPSIS
A slightly longer telling of your story. You add more plot detail and character development than the logline. Using words to suggest tone, it introduces the main characters, the conflict and the overall arc of the story. You should always write it in the structure of your script, so it will reveal the pacing of the film. Visual images are necessary. Go here to read notes on writing proper loglines and synopses for professionals to read
When writing your SYNOPSIS, try to answer these questions:
1) Who is your main character?
2) The audience will relate to your main character because…?
3) Your main character’s objective is…?
4) Who is your antagonist?
5) Your antagonist’s objective is…?
6) What is the main conflict of the script?
7) The catalyst is…?
8) The climax is…?
9) What is your beginning, middle and end?
Overall, when writing your SYNOPSIS, use visual images to convey the story as much as possible.
How to Write a Screenplay. Tips for everyone
Watch the best of films now by signing up for the FREE 7 Day trial. New Festival Daily: https://www.wildsound.ca/todays-film-festival/
HOW TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY
FILMMAKING NOTES
SCREENPLAY WRITING
When writing a SCREENPLAY, it’s all about CHARACTER, PLOT, and THEME – the three cornerstones to telling a great story.
Below is Part One of NOTES you need to think about when writing a script. Whether you’re a seasoned script writer or just a beginner, these notes should be insightful for all – and it beats reading those long drawn-out books on the subject.
“A good film script should be able to do completely without dialogue.”-David Mamet
FOUR STAGES OF ANY SCREENPLAY.
1. THE STORY CONCEPT – A single sentence telling who the hero of the story is and what he/she wants to accomplish
2. THE CHARACTERS – The people who populate the story
3. PLOT STRUCTURE – The events of the story and the relationship of the characters; determines what happens in the story and when it happens
4. THE INDIVIDUAL SCENES – The way the words are laid out on the page – the format, and how one writes action, description and dialogue to increase emotional involvement.
STORY ALWAYS BEGINS WITH A WHAT IF? QUESTION
What if this happened?
What if that happened
IT IS STORY ABOUT A _____________ WHO _____________
Every movie needs THRILLS, LAUGHS and TEARS
QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ANSWER BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO WRITE
Who is your main character?
What is he/she trying to accomplish?
Who is trying to stop him/her?
What happens if he/she fails?
AND DON”T FORGET…..
Whose story is it?
Who do I care about, identify with, follow in this film?To what extent do I see the story through a specific person’s point of view?
Where do I start the scene/end the scene?
What is the point of the scene?Why include the scene at all?
What’s the most important information the audience needs to get from the scene?
What is the scene’s focus?
Where is the scene heading?
Does the scene move the story further?
Does the scene have a direction? A sense of going somewhere? A point to make?
Do I get out of the scene after the point is made?
Have I remembered that scenes are about images?
Have I remembered to play the image, to play the conflict, to play the emotions, rather than simply play the information?
Is the relationship of my scenes interesting?
Are my scenes repetitive? Flat? Boring? Or is there something dramatic and fascinating happening?
Will the audience be entertained?
ELEMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SCREENPLAY
1) Marketability
2) Creativity
3) Script structure
PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT TO CONNECT TO A FILM
CREATIVE STEPS IN WRITING A SCREENPLAY
RESEARCH
Research of MEMORY
-Explore my own past, relive the memories and then write them down.
Research of IMAGINATION
-The creativity of your own inner thoughts and feelings. What do you dream?
Research of FACT-Research the setting and character you’re writing about.
CREATIVITY MEANS CREATIVE CHOICES ABOUT WHAT TO INCLUDE AND WHAT TO EXCLUDE
“I steal from every movie ever made.”-Quentin Tarantino
* * * *
Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 30-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Daily Festival held in downtown Toronto. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.
Screenplay Movie: SALLIE, by Chase Yancey
When the paths of the 11th Pennsylvania Civil War regiment and an American Staffordshire Terrier pup intertwine, the men of the 11th’s lives are changed in ways they never could’ve predicted.
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Hannah Ehman
R. Coulter: Shawn Devlin
Captain Terry: Geoff May
Today’s Podcast: Cecil Harris (WHITE CHOCOLATE)
Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-wbuMLmLCQ
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
White Chocolate is about a female detective who, along with her male partner, has to solve the killing of a high school basketball prodigy in Yonkers, New York (near New York City). Detective Erika Gonzalez is a single mom and the daughter of a cop killed in the line of duty. Her son’s father, who proved unfaithful during their relationship, has been recently released from prison. The story focuses on Erika’s resilience in the face of personal and professional challenges, as well as the unwanted attention that comes to an attractive woman who simply wants to do her job.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Drama, Crime, Sports.
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Erika is a character who faces so many challenges in a male-dominated profession and is constantly being tested, which makes her someone worth rooting for. Also, the basketball prodigy represents the hopes and dreams of many in a city not noted for producing famous people. Many in the community live vicariously through him, making his killing difficult for them to process. Fingers are pointed in many different directions. There’s a whodunit element to the story. Those who may be able to identify the killer before the detectives may be intrigued by the lengths to which the killer tries to avoid accountability.
How many stories have you written?
Two screenplays. The other is Iceman, which is about a Black hockey trailblazer in the 1995-96 National Hockey League season.
I’m also the author of four books: Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey (Insomniac Press, Toronto), the first book that told the unique stories of Black players in hockey; Call the Yankees My Daddy: Reflections on Baseball, Race, and Family; Charging the Net: A History of Blacks in Tennis from Althea Gibson and Arthur to the Williams Sisters; and Different Strokes: Serena, Venus, and the Unfinished Black Tennis Revolution. My books reside at the intersection of sports and sociology. I used to cover the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes for The News & Observer in Raleigh and the New York Rangers for Newsday in New York. The lead character in Iceman is based on Black NHL players I wrote about in Breaking the Ice.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
HISTORY Festival: Today’s Screenplay Deadline
Submit your screenplay that’s a historical story genre and/or plot line to the festival.
Submit on the submission page: https://documentaryshortfilmfestival.com/history-screenplay-festival/
FULL FEEDBACK on your screenplay from our committee of Professional Screenwriters, Production Heads and Script Consultants. Get your entire script performed at the writing festival.
SUBMIT your FEATURE, TV PILOT or SHORT SCREENPLAY.
Submissions take 3-5 weeks for evaluation. Looking for screenplays from all over the world.
This festival has a guaranteed 4-tier set up for each accepted script. (No matter what, all screenplays submitted receive FULL FEEDBACK on their work.)
1st Tier: FULL FEEDBACK on your screenplay (all submissions)
2nd Tier: Accepted scripts (25% on average of submitted entries) get a best scene of their screenplay performed by professional actors and made into a promotional video.
3rd Tier: We will send you a list of questions to answer for our blog interview that will promote you and your film.
4th Tier: Then we will set up a podcast interview on our popular ITunes show where will we will promote the winning writer and script.
(BONUS: 5th Tier. A winning screenwriter’s WhatsApp group has just been formed. Over 50 writers to date. Great way to share ideas and contacts with people in the industry.)
FANTASY/SCI-FI Festival: Today’s Screenplay Deadline Today’s Screenplay Deadline
Get your screenplay performed by professional actors at the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Festival.
Submit on the submission page: https://fantasyscififestival.com/
The Fastest Growing FANTASY/SCI-FI Festival and Contest in the World today!
– 0ffers screenwriters at all levels the fantastic opportunity to hear their stories read aloud using TOP PROFESSIONAL ACTORS (see below for recent performance readings).
– No matter what happens, you will receive full feedback on your work by our established committee. No other place in the world will you get coverage for the price you pay.
– Even if you’re just looking for feedback of your work, this is the festival for you.
– It’s there for all to see. The proof is in the viewership. These videos garner 1000s of views online. Some of the screenplay readings are more popular than actual studio films made!
– We specialize in showcasing Horror stories and making sure that when the work is ready, the writer will benefit by at least obtaining a solid agent.
PARANORMAL Festival: Today’s Screenplay Deadline
Submit your screenplay that’s a paranormal genre and/or plot line to the festival.
Submit on the submission page: https://fantasyscififestival.com/paranormal-screenplay-festival/
A paranormal story is a work of fiction that explores phenomena and beings that are beyond the scope of scientific understanding. They include elements like ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, and other entities that cannot be explained by the laws of nature. They can be set in the real world, but generally include elements that defy scientific explanation.
FULL FEEDBACK on your screenplay from our committee of professional screenwriters, production heads, and script consultants. Get your entire script performed at the writing festival.
SUBMIT your FEATURE, TV PILOT or SHORT SCREENPLAY./p>
Submissions take 3-5 weeks for evaluation. Looking for screenplays from all over the world.
This festival has a guaranteed 4-tier set up for each accepted script. (No matter what, all screenplays submitted receive FULL FEEDBACK on their work.)
1st Tier: FULL FEEDBACK on your screenplay (all submissions)
2nd Tier: Accepted scripts (25% on average of submitted entries) get a best scene of their screenplay performed by professional actors and made into a promotional video.
3rd Tier: We will send you a list of questions to answer for our blog interview that will promote you and your film.
4th Tier: Then we will set up a podcast interview on our popular ITunes show where will we will promote the winning writer and script.
(BONUS: 5th Tier. A winning screenwriter’s WhatsApp group has just been formed. Over 50 writers to date. Great way to share ideas and contacts with people in the industry.)
ROMANCE/RELATIONSHIPS Festival: Today’s Screenplay Festival
Deadline Today. Submit on the screenplay submission page: https://festivalforromance.com/
FULL FEEDBACK on your screenplay from our committee of Professional Screenwriters, Production Heads and Script Consultants. Get your entire script performed at the writing festival. SUBMIT your FEATURE, TV or SHORT SCREENPLAY.
Submissions take 3-5 weeks for evaluation. Looking for screenplays from all over the world.
Why this is the #1 Screenplay Festival and Contest in the World today!
– 0ffers screenwriters at all levels the fantastic opportunity to hear their scripts read aloud using TOP PROFESSIONAL ACTORS and showcased online for 1000s to see.
– Now showcasing 5x more winners than in the past. At least 1 romance screenplay winner a month.
– This network currently averages over 90,000 unique visitors a day and growing.
COMEDY Film & Screenplay Festival: Today’s Screenplay Deadline
Submit on the submission page: https://festivalforcomedy.com/comedy-screenplay-festival-contest/
COMEDY Writings and Films showcased in 2023:
58 – Screenplays Performed
8 – Novels/Stories Performed
37 – Films Showcased at Festival
(Scroll down and watch winning performance videos)
Get your script and story performed by professional actors at the Comedy Festival.
The #1 Comedy Festival and Contest in the World today!
– 0ffers screenwriters, novelists and storytellers at all levels the fantastic opportunity to hear their stories read aloud using TOP PROFESSIONAL ACTORS (see below for recent performance readings).
– Offers filmmakers to get their works showcased at the FEEDBACK Film Festival. Then the filmmaker will receive and audience reaction video on their film (see below for recent film festival videos)
– One of the best places in the world for the writers to sell their script and/or obtain and agent.
– No matter what happens, you will receive full feedback on your work by our established committee. No other place in the world will you get coverage for the price you pay.
– Even if you’re just looking for feedback of your work, this is the festival for you.
– It’s there for all to see. The proof is in the viewership. These videos garner 1000s of views online. Some of the screenplay readings are more popular than actual studio films made!
– We specialize in showcasing Comedy stories and making sure that when the work is ready, the writer will benefit by at least obtaining a solid agent.
Festival Reviews 