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Writing a movie script – 10 things you should do to get your screenplay rejected
Writing a movie script? Want to know the 10 secrets to get your screenplay rejected for sure? Read on.
1. Offer camera directions in your screenplay
Don’t trust the intelligence of the director or cinematographer and offer camera directions in your script like, ‘pan’, ‘zoom’, ‘dolly’, ‘trolley shot’ or ‘low angle shot’. That will make your script look like one from history and is a definite way of getting it rejected.
2. Offer editing directions in your screenplay
Similarly, go ahead… show a complete disregard to the editor’s intelligence and write editing instructions like ‘cut to’, ‘dissolve’, etc. and your screenplay will look like a thing of the past. In modern day screenplays editing directions are no longer in vogue. Only ‘fade in’ and ‘fade out’ are used twice or thrice in an entire screenplay.
3. Do not capitalize character names
Do not capitalize the character names while writing a movie script. Leave them in lowercase text and your screenplay will be rejected for sure. Similarly, leave words that denote sound, like WHOOSH, or CLANG in lowercase, to show how little you know.
4. Make your screenplay shorter than 90 pages or longer than 130 pages
While writing a movie script, you should definitely make it longer than 130 pages, or shorter than 90 pages to make sure your screenplay goes straight to the trash bin, because normal screenplays are 90 pages to 130 pages in length.
5. Write very long dialogs
Writing a movie script? Love writing interesting dialogs? Then go ahead and make them a bit lengthy. Make each dialog longer than 5 lines and that will ensure your screenplay is ripped and made into paper airplanes.
6. Write very long scenes
While writing a movie script, make sure your scenes are lengthy enough to get the screenplay rejected. While normally scenes are less than a page in length to maximum three pages, with 5 page scenes being an exception; you should concentrate in making your scenes more than 5 page in length… to join the rejected screenplay writers’ club.
7. Write long descriptions
While the normal length of writing a scene description is 1 to 4 lines, you should break the rule and write at least 10 line scene descriptions to be a part of the frustrated screenwriters’ league.
8. Use character names that sound and spell similar
Make your character names sound confusingly similar. Or make them start with the same letter, so that the viewers are thoroughly confused.
9. Use character names for very minor characters
Give character names to even minor characters that appear just once and have one line dialogs, to prove you want to get your screenplay rejected. While the rule is, you should use the professions to identify minor characters, rather than names, a violation of the rule is recommended if you want to do the opposite or normal.
Eg. POLICE OFFICER
Show me your driving license.
The above is normal, if this police officer appears only once in the entire movie.
10. Use wired slug lines.
Scenes start with slug lines like:
INT. COFFEE HOUSE – NIGHT
Or
EXT. BEACH – DAY
While normal screenplay writers use only ‘day’ or ‘night’, you can be a rebel and use wired slug lines like DUSK, DAWN, SUNSET TIME, SUNRISE TIME, to stay ahead in the race of getting your screenplay rejected.
11. Make a mess of the alignment.
And finally, make a mess of the alignment. While the rule is, scene slug lines and action descriptions should be extreme left aligned, character names should be center aligned and dialogs should be left aligned, but an inch towards the right.
Eg. Correct format:
POLICE OFFICER
Show me your driving license.
Sees the license
POLICE OFFICER (CONT’D)
This license has expired three months ago. Please come out of the car mister.
He opens the door and COLLIN walks out of the car.
Wrong format:
POLICE OFFICER
Show me your driving license.
Sees the license
POLICE OFFICER (CONT’D)
This license has expired three months ago. Please come out of the car mister.
He opens the door and COLLIN walks out of the car.
12. Use plenty of mood descriptions throughout the screenplay
Use of phrases in brackets like (smiles), (looks worried), (laughs out loud) with every possible dialog to prove yourself to be a complete novice. Experienced screenwriters avoid using such phrases as far as possible because these are for the director to decide. Three such uses in a complete good screenplay are allowed.
13. Do not visualize
While writing a movie script, write it just for the sake of writing it. Do not visualize anything in your mind’s eye. Do not bother if your scenes will be picturesque or boring.
Writing a movie script – 10 things you should do to get your screenplay rejected
By Pinaki Ghosh
Writing a movie script? Want to know the 13 secrets to get your screenplay rejected for sure? Read on.
1. Offer camera directions in your screenplay
Don’t trust the intelligence of the director or cinematographer and offer camera directions in your script like, ‘pan’, ‘zoom’, ‘dolly’, ‘trolley shot’ or ‘low angle shot’. That will make your script look like one from history and is a definite way of getting it rejected.
2. Offer editing directions in your screenplay
Similarly, go ahead… show a complete disregard to the editor’s intelligence and write editing instructions like ‘cut to’, ‘dissolve’, etc. and your screenplay will look like a thing of the past. In modern day screenplays editing directions are no longer in vogue. Only ‘fade in’ and ‘fade out’ are used twice or thrice in an entire screenplay.
3. Do not capitalize character names
Do not capitalize the character names while writing a movie script. Leave them in lowercase text and your screenplay will be rejected for sure. Similarly, leave words that denote sound, like WHOOSH, or CLANG in lowercase, to show how little you know.
4. Make your screenplay shorter than 90 pages or longer than 130 pages
While writing a movie script, you should definitely make it longer than 130 pages, or shorter than 90 pages to make sure your screenplay goes straight into the trash bin, because normal screenplays are 90 pages to 130 pages in length.
5. Write very lengthy dialogs
Writing a movie script? Love writing interesting dialogs? Then go ahead and make them lengthy. Make each dialog lengthier than 5 lines and that will ensure your screenplay is ripped and made into paper airplanes.
6. Write very lengthy scenes
While writing a movie script, make sure your scenes are lengthy enough to get the screenplay rejected. While normally scenes are less than a page in length to maximum three pages, with 5 page scenes being an exception; you should concentrate in making your scenes more than 5 pages in length… to join the rejected screenplay writers’ club.
7. Write lengthy descriptions
While the normal length of writing a scene description is 1 to 4 lines, you should break the rule and write at least 10 line scene descriptions to be a part of the frustrated screenwriters’ league.
8. Use character names that sound and spell similar
Make your character names sound confusingly similar. Or make them start with the same letter, so that the viewers are thoroughly confused.
9. Use character names for very minor characters
Give character names to even minor characters that appear just once and have one line dialogs, to prove you want to get your screenplay rejected. While the rule is, you should use the professions to identify minor characters, rather than names, a violation of the rule is recommended if you want to do the opposite of normal.
Eg. POLICE OFFICER
Show me your driving license. God save you if you don’t have one.
The above is normal, if this POLICE OFFICER appears only once in the entire movie. In a good screenplay, a name like ‘HARRY’ or ‘TOM’ or ‘DICK’ would have been inappropriate for this role.
10. Use wired slug lines.
Scenes start with slug lines like:
INT. COFFEE HOUSE – NIGHT
Or
EXT. BEACH – DAY
While normal screenplay writers use only ‘day’ or ‘night’, you can be a rebel and use wired slug lines like DUSK, DAWN, SUNSET TIME, SUNRISE TIME, to stay ahead in the race of getting your screenplay rejected.
11. Make a mess of the alignment
And finally, make a mess of the alignment. While the rule is, scene slug lines and action descriptions should be extreme left aligned, character names should be center aligned and dialogs should be left aligned, but an inch towards the right.
Eg. Correct format:
EXT. ROAD – DAY
POLICE OFFICER
Show me your driving license. God save you if you don’t have one.
Sees the license
POLICE OFFICER (CONT’D)
This license has expired three months ago. Please come out of the car mister.
He opens the door and COLLIN walks out of the car.
Wrong format:
EXT. ROAD – DAY
POLICE OFFICER
Show me your driving license. God save you if you don’t have one.
Sees the license
POLICE OFFICER (CONT’D)
This license has expired three months ago. Please come out of the car mister.
He opens the door and COLLIN walks out of the car.
12. Use plenty of mood descriptions throughout the screenplay
Use of phrases in brackets like (smiles), (looks worried), (laughs out loud) with every possible dialog to prove yourself to be a complete novice. Experienced screenwriters avoid using such phrases as far as possible because these are for the director to decide. Three such uses in a complete good screenplay are allowed.
13. Do not visualize
While writing a movie script, write it just for the sake of writing it. Do not visualize anything in your mind’s eye. Do not bother if your scenes will be picturesque or boring.
And of course, do not take the help of the premier screenwriting and script consultancy service TheScreenplayWriters.com, because this team of screenwriters is so good and powerful, your screenplay will never be rejected. To make sure your screenplay is rejected, they should be strictly avoided.
10 Responses
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Dear Sunil, you are absolutely right. Character names are capitalized only when the character is introduced. Beyond that, they are naturally capitalized when they have dialogue, but not in the “Screen Action” section. If they were to be capitalized throughout the screenplay, you would imagine Final Draft in version 8 would have made that automatic! I am a produced screenwriter, so you can definitely trust me on this one. Cheers.
September 27, 2009 at 12:44 pm -
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Dear Stalin,
A 90 minute film (I suppose you meant, the screenplay) screenplay should cost $3,600 – $6,000 (Rs 165,000 – Rs 275,000) if you go for the economy range.
If you want to use a screenwriter who has written several hit and superhit Bollywood movies, their rate start from $9,000 (Rs 420,000); and for experienced Hollywood writers the rate starts from $20,000 (Rs 920,000).Hope that answers your question.
Regards,
Pinaki Ghosh
November 2, 2009 at 2:11 am -
Hi Ghosh,
Thank you very much for your immediate response. It was so informative.
Actually, i am 3D Animator and involved in making of a 3D animation movie based on bible stories. The output is going to be of international standard and hence i wanted a foreign script writer to be involved. The end product is going to be marketed internationally.
Can you please guide me.
Regards,
Stalin
November 2, 2009 at 2:34 am -
Pinky
Respected Pinaki Sir,
Thanks for your these comments. I read the article which you sent me & I got the idea that how to make our story as a best rejected story. I will keep these 13 points in my mind while writing my script.
Thnk you sir for your support.
January 1, 2010 at 10:40 am -
Hello,
I wrote a treatment for a screenplay a movie, now how many pages do i need to write the actual movie script for comedy. Also do i have to write word for word from each character.
March 21, 2010 at 1:42 pm -
hi pinaki gosh
April 3, 2010 at 4:43 am
my name is kala and i was just looking basic information about screenplay or screenwriting.. i read you blogs abd they are very interesting.
i wish to know more about you and your screenwriting skills
please reply me back on my email ID
p.singhfood@gmail.com -
@ Brenda – a full length movie script (comedy) should be around 120 pages.
April 11, 2010 at 8:59 pm -
I am an aspiring scriptwriter, and my personal though is that anything that camera is focused onto should be capitalized.
August 20, 2010 at 8:09 am
But that just me. Or have u 2 see the scripts written by William Monahan. “The Departed” for example. He has overdone the capitalizing character name thing.
Once again, a very good article from you. Thanks. I have a couple of questions though -
“3. Do not capitalize character names”
I thought that the character names should be in capital only when they are introduced. Apart from their dialog tags, Do I need to capitalize them in the descriptions too?
Secondly, is it correct to center-align the dialogs, one or two spaces below the character name? The screenplay writing software I’m using always center-aligns the dialogs.
Thanks again for the article.
September 13, 2009 at 10:38 pm