- The Writers Journey
- Writer's Foundation Certificate
- Write and Sell the HOT Script
- TV Writer's Lab
- Beyond Structure With David Freeman
- Maverick Screenwriting
- Write the Sitcom, Sell the Sitcom
- 22-Step Great Screenwriting with John Truby
- Registration Form
- 99 Minute Film School
- Filmmakers Foundation Certificate
- Producer's Foundation Certificate
- Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking
- Basic Cinematography
- Simens 2-Day Film School
- Documentary Foundation Certificate
- Making Money with Mobile Phone Movies
- Registration Form
- Directing Essentials
- Directors Foundation Certificate
- Hands-on Directing: Film/TV Part 1
- Hands-On Directing Film/TV Part 2
- Direct Your First Feature
- The Short Film Project
- How To Make A Short Film
- Power of Lighting
- Directing Actors
- Registration Form
- Writer's Diploma
- Director's Diploma
- Producer's Diploma
- Filmmaker's Diploma
- Custom Diploma
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- Live!Ammunition!
- Boozin' n' Schmoozin'
- Open House
- Cannes Survival Guide
- Live!Ammunition! Cannes
- The Raindance Film Challenge
- Post-production Services
An extract from his book Raindance Writers' Lab: Write + Sell the Hot Screenplay.
Screenwriters have an ideal entrepreneurial opportunity, if they consider themselves as a manufacturer of product - take a ream of paper, available from any stationers, and turn it into a screenplay worth thousands using just a few pennies' worth of ink, your time, and your mind.
If you treat your writing like a business, then it follows that you are a professional, and certain rules apply to your profession - as they do to any other profession. What follows is both a format and style guide which attempt to give the reader an idea of the different choices and strategies involved in the craft of screenwriting.
Screenplays must be submitted in the correct format, or the industry personnel you are pursuing will ignore them. By ignoring the simple formatting rules will make your script look amateurish.
The film industry has become institutionalized to the point where scripts follow one set of rules for screenplay, and another for television. This chapter explains the basic rules for screenplay.
Here's a PDF of the one page Script Format Guide
Here's the great BBC script format guide
Summary
1. Take the time to format your script properly.
2. Don't be intimidated by the formatting rules - it will just make you delay the writing process.
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Elliot Grove founded Raindance Film Festival in 1993, the British Independent Film Awards in 1998 and Raindance.TV in 2007. He has produced over 150 short films, and 5 feature films. He has written eight scripts, one of which is currently in pre-production. His first feature film, TABLE 5 was shot on 35mm and completed for a total of £278.38.
He teaches writers and producers in the UK, Europe. Japan and America.
He has written two books which have become industry standards: RAINDANCE WRITERS LAB 2nd Edition (Focal Press 2008) and RAINDANCE PRODUCERS LAB (2004). His first novel THE BANDIT QUEEN is scheduled for publication in 2010.
Britain's Open University has awarded him an Honourary Doctorate for services to film education in 2009.
Free Article: 9 Elements Of Great Films
Free Article: Why 3 Act Will Kill Your Writing
Weekend Class: Write and Sell the HOT Script
Evening Class: Writer's Foundation Certificate
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