A Great Thriller
I’d like to tell you what I love to see in a great Thriller screenplay.
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Tag Archive for: how to write a screenplay
How to write a GREAT script!
It ain’t easy, but if you strive for excellence and you put in the time, you just may write something that’s not just good but great.
I don’t see any other goal. You’re here to create a great movie that will stand the test of time. Seems obvious to me.
But…we all know those newbies who are only in it to write one screenplay and sell it for the “big money.” Well, they can keep dreaming because this is a very unique, detailed, demanding, difficult and rewarding craft and it takes more than just one script to get it down.
It takes a strong commitment to being the best. Writing the best Thriller to blow away all Thrillers. The most hilarious, relevant Comedy. The most stirring Drama. The most kleenex-wetting Romance.
And here’s where it begins. Right here, in this article.
Yes, it’s true, let there be no more speculation and no more confusion. Why?
I’ve got a list.
And everybody loves lists. (Don’t they?) Read more
How to Write a GREAT Script! page 2
In fact, each one of those categories in the Great Script list represents a great deal of study and practice. To truly understand each element is the first challenge and it takes time to get there. From there, the ability to implement each element on the page requires a strong focus, a raw instinct for story, a dedication to working hard over a long-term schedule and the helping hand of smart, experienced friends and mentors.
Even the pros have trouble pulling off all the elements of a great script. And even they need to show each draft to another reader as no writer, no matter their level, can be truly objective about their work.
I have so much to tell you about each one of the above elements that will help you look at movies and television in a new light. Basically, I can hand you the keys to how the pros do it so that you can find out who exactly is behind the curtain pulling all the switches and turning the dials.
But wait! There’s also those things you should not do. And I have a list for that crap, too.
In fact, I have a bigger list that I’ve given my students for years, but here’s the majors, the dealbreakers…
Biggest mistakes (in no particular order of badness):
Lack of a clear theme
Passive protagonist
Story not actively moving forward
Lack of conflict
No “rootability” for your protagonist
No “clock”
Got it? Good!
I mean…Great!
Because that’s the goal, right? To write a great one. I see no other way.
It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be rough. But it’s going to be exhilarating.
I’d love to help you get on your way, build your story with the strongest foundation possible and ultimately achieve your craft and career goals. If you’d like to work with me, please take a look at My Script Services and drop me a line.
Good Luck and Happy Writing!
CHARACTER = ACTION:
- Get professional notes on your completed screenplay.
- Get professional notes on your completed TV pilot screenplay.
- Develop a new screenplay from scratch with the guidance of an industry professional.
- Hire an industry pro to rewrite your script for you.
- Ask me a question.
The Difference Between Film and Television Concepts by Daniel Calvisi
Dear Screenwriter,
You may come up with a cool idea for a movie and be told that it would make a better TV series, or you may create a concept for a TV series and be told it’s more fit for the big screen. How do you tell the difference between a concept that works best as a Feature versus a TV pilot/series?
FEATURE FILM
Film is pretty simple: it is a complete story with a closed ending. Unless you’re writing the first part of a trilogy (which I do not recommend, unless you happen to have procured the rights to a best-selling book series), the ending wraps up your compelling tale which (hopefully) had a beginning, middle and end. It can be a happy or sad ending, but that particular narrative has reached a closing point. You’ve exhausted the concept and we, the Reader or Audience, are satisfied. Fade out.
95% of the time, a feature script/film is going to use the “classical” 4-Act structure (Act One, Act Two-A, Act Two-B and Act Three.). Even if the story is told in a non-linear way, it should ideally fit into this meta-structure. My Story Map structure fits ably into this form, and you can learn much more about it in my books and webinars.
The idea for a feature film should be able to be expressed in a logline, which is a one-line snapshot of the unique dramatic situation in approximately 20-30 words. A feature film logline should suggest a stand-alone story, rather than an ongoing saga. Here are three loglines for famous films:
WHO THE F*$K IS STAN? and 14 other questions about TRUE DETECTIVE SEASON TWO
“Forget about it, Ray. It’s Vinci.”
The great SLOG-WATCH of True Detective season two is over, and I’ve got a few things to say about it. But I’m not just here to point out flaws, I’m also offering solutions so that maybe we can learn something from the 8 1/2 hours of our lives we devoted to this season.
It was inevitable that from the first minute, the second season of True Detective would be compared to the first, and that would be a tough comp for any series. Season two has been almost universally judged to have fallen short of the bar set by the first season, which featured star talent, cinematic production values, some great writing and fantastic direction. Considering its evergreen pedigree, I can’t help but wonder if season two’s 8 episodes, as is, had aired on a different network, under a different name, if they would have been lambasted so badly. I’d surmise that it would have got off easier, but it still would have attracted a lot of criticism. With or without the comparison to the first season, True Detective season 2 was heavily flawed and utterly frustrating to watch. Read more
Interstellar: 5 Christopher Nolan Trademark Techniques
Christopher Nolan is the most daring film director working in the major studio system today, and each film he directs becomes an event. With Interstellar, he’s created (along with his co-writer, brother Jonathan Nolan) an epic that combines classic Hollywood storytelling with bold narrative choices, all displayed with cutting-edge theatrical presentation. Interstellar is certainly his BIGGEST film yet, not just in cinematic scope but in the size of the narrative stakes and thematic resonance, and makes me wonder how the hell he’s going to top it with his next movie! Read more
Seven screenplay analysis and free download offer
What’s in the box?!
Seven, written by Andrew Kevin Walker and directed by David Fincher, is one of the great thrillers of the 1990s, a decade with several exceptional thrillers. Walker’s screenplay for Seven shot him to the Script Doctor A-list, establishing him as a hot writer of dark material on spec, like 1999’s 8mm, as well as garnering him uncredited rewrites on films such as Fight Club, The Game (also Fincher-directed films) and Stir of Echoes (directed by Walker’s mentor, David Koepp). Read more
Actor Elijah Wood tells Dan Calvisi what he looks for in a script
I’m more interested in being a part of an entire piece that I think is brilliant, even if it’s a small part to play.
The Shawshank Redemption Screenplay
The Shawshank Redemption screenplay by Frank Darabont, based on the novella by Stephen King, is a powerful character-driven drama that covers many years in the lives of multiple characters, all tied together around the theme of “preserving hope in the most hopeless of situations.”
Adapting a book to screenplay with Coppola Part I
The Godfather may be the most famous example of a great movie made from a poorly-written book. With the release of this page of text from Mario Puzo’s novel with hand-written notes by Francis Ford Coppola, we can see this claim in action! In other words, if you click on the image below and actually read the text, you can see how bad Puzo’s writing really was and breathe a sigh of relief that Coppola meticulously planned his translation to the screen.
What do Revenge of the Nerds and The Beastmaster have in common?
I recently looked at a couple Nineties films (Good Will Hunting and Saving Private Ryan) so I figured I’d hit the Eighties this week, when hair was big and love was real.
Two seminal films in the pantheon of cinematic history, Revenge of the Nerds and The Beastmaster, employ a scene archetype that we see in the climax of many a story — the beat that occurs when the friends that the hero made earlier in the movie, whom we’d forgotten about, return to help save the day, thus facilitating the hero’s triumph over evil. Sometimes, they are former enemies who have become allies out of respect for the protagonist’s actions since they first met. Read more
Pro Screenwriters Panel at L.A. Film Fest (video)
Even Spike "the Story Analysis cat" is not entertained by me.
Dan’s 2-Minute Screenwriting School is back in action with an expert panel of top screenwriters including Dustin Lance Black (Milk, Big Love), Josh Olson (A History of Violence), Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (Captain America, Chronicles of Narnia) and Diablo Cody (Juno). These professional script doctors discuss the importance of writing multiple projects at once. Read more
Buy Story Maps E-Book Now!
It’s HERE!
Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay E-Book is ready for purchase. Go HERE for excerpts, a sample story map and three options, including a “Booster Pack” with 12 new story maps!
E-Book now available for purchase - Click on image for Limited-Time Offer
Getting Extreme (Part II)
Continuing this Excerpt from Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay (Part One here):
GET EXTREME!
I love it when I see a movie or read a script and the writer is willing to “go there,” to take the story to the extremes of the dramatic conflict. Not afraid to shock, offend or make their audience uncomfortable, but to be true to the story and the dramatic elements that they have built.
In The Hangover, the guys tell Phil (Bradley Cooper) not to leave the baby in the car alone and he argues, “I cracked the window!” Awful…but hilarious.
In Million Dollar Baby, Maggie (Hilary Swank) is not just hurt but she is paralyzed from the neck down. Her condition worsens in horrible ways and she asks Frankie (Clint Eastwood) to euthanize her. There is no last-minute save; he must end her life to allow his arc to come to fruition.
In Sideways, Jack (Thomas Hayden Church) has already had one affair and got his nose broken in 3 places, but he still insists on sleeping with the waitress, leading him to get caught by her husband. It gets worse when Jack makes Miles (Paul Giamatti) go back to the house to retrieve his wallet, and Miles gets chased by the naked husband. This represents the ultimate test of Miles’ loyalty to his friend.
Or in Total Recall, when this happens to Arnie…
Now that’s good writing.
Screenwriter Scott Rosenberg Gets Extreme
Excerpt from Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay, coming soon.
Scott Rosenberg is a very successful screenwriter whose produced credits include Armageddon, Beautiful Girls, Things to do in Denver When You’re Dead and Gone in 60 Seconds. I had been a fan of his for years before I met him at the Austin Screenwriters Conference. Read more
Screenwriter Q & A: common questions answered
Here is a compilation of questions I was asked by screenwriters on varying topics a few years back and my advice still holds firm — some helpful screenwriting tips that I’ve learned over the years and I hope this information can help you…
Questions Below (links removed):
- What is the criteria for script contests?
- How long should I wait to submit my work to the industry?
- Getting the read
- How long will it take me to break through?
- What do you look for in a story?
- Art Films vs. Popcorn Movies
- A contact wants a “cut” to pass on my script, should I do it?
- To a writer worried about their idea being stolen…
- I know I’m shooting my script as an indie feature, do I need your services?
- Is it a big Hollywood movie or a TV spec sample?
WHAT IS THE CRITERIA FOR SCRIPT CONTESTS?
hi Dan,
What is the criteria for judging scripts in script contests? If you don’t place in one does that mean odds are you won’t place in another? Is it possible for a good script to not place simply because it wasn’t what they were looking for?
I entered my script into the San Diego Script Competition and found out yesterday I wasn’t even a finalist. I was pretty disappointed and it got me thinking that my script isn’t as good as I thought. I am still waiting to hear from another contest but, I can’t get it out of my head that it is hopeless…
I won’t ever give up and have already begun redrafting, but man did that hurt. Can you offer some insight into to how the whole script contest thing works?
Thank you from a newbie!
J.
Act Three Tips
Act Three in your screenplay — the final act — is the race to the finish line. It’s a fast-paced, high stakes push toward the climax, which ideally should be a direct confrontation between your Protagonist and your Antagonist. Read more
Story Maps: Meet The Parents
The Meet The Parents screenplay is a classic example of a well-executed, high concept comedy that uses every dramatic element and beat of the Story Maps method of screenwriting.
Well, except one. Read more
Which screenwriting software is best?
Which screenwriting software do you use to format your screenplay? There’s more options than ever out there. This article in Variety (squint!) talks about the two majors, Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter, as well as the young upstarts like Scripped.com and ScriptWrite, which exist on “the cloud” (the hot phrase right now). Read more
Screenwriting Career Goals for the New Year
Continued from Page One: Screenwriting Resolutions: Craft Goals
If you aspire to get paid for your writing, you will need to balance your craft development with marketing efforts. We writers are often most comfortable alone in front of our laptops, so it’s tough to put ourselves and our work out there. But you have to do it. There’s no way around it. Read more