Writing Movies for Fun

1. You have to live inL.A./Hollywood. The studioswill needtobe able tosee youin personat anytime. It
couldtake up to 10 yearsfor a movie toget made.
Get a program calledFinal Draftfromfinaldraft.com. Orgetit free at:
http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/5180861/Final_Draft_8.0.1.89 or:
http://www.warez-bb.org/viewtopic.php?t=10442640&highlight=
Mac version:
http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/5110419/Final_Draft_8_%28Mac%29 or:
http://www.warez-bb.org/viewtopic.php?t=15098407&highlight=
It’s the standardfor writingscripts. Nootherformatisacceptedby studios.
Get representatives(agent,manager,andentertainmentlawyer. Tom& ben’sagentisScott Greenberg
at CAA). Sendingthemyourscriptwill annoythem, sowrite andfilmashortscript evenif itsjust30
secondsandput iton youtube,funnyordie.comandthe hundredsof siteslike them(youcanalsoenter
screenwritingcompetitionstopossiblygetnoticed) totryto getdiscovered. Youprettymuchhave to be
referredbyotheractors/writers/etcthathave representation. Youcan findactorsby takinga class at
the Upright CitizensBrigade inL.A. Youneedarep because studioswillnottake unsolicitedmaterial,it
has to be handedto thembya repthat the studiohasdone businesswithbefore. A repwill negotiate
for you,andan entertainmentlawyercangetyouabout 25% more $. Agentsare like a school teacher,
and managersare like the guidance counselor.Geta managerfirst.
Write fourto five hourseveryday,because alotof it will notbe usedandrepspreferyouto have
several scriptsbefore they'll representyou,andbecause yougetbetteratsomethingbydoingit
constantly. Close email &webbrowsersduringwriting,itstoodistracting.
Try thisexperiment(itmaytake a yearor 2) - write a screenplay,readit,thenrewrite ituntil youthink
itsperfect. Do the same with2 more screenplays. Goback & readyour 1st screenplay,you'll seeit
sucks& you've learnedalot.
If everystudiopassesonyourscript,consideritdead. Dont botherrewritingit,waituntil youare
successful inthe industrybeforeyoutrybringingitback.
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How to pitchyourmovie:
Compare yourfilmto othersuccessful films(forexamplesay"itsdie hardmeetshome alone"). The
maincharacter mustbe a flawed-but-amazingcharacterthata star wouldwantto play(there are 3
timesmore starsthan studioheads,soshootfor a movie star). Anexample studioheadsuse all the time
isLiar Liar - JimCarrey isa likeable perfectfatherwith1flaw:he lies.
Dressprofessionally.
Be able todescribe the movie in1 sentence,forexample"itsananimatedversionof The Commitments
withsantasreindeer,showinghow the sleigh-pullingteamgottogetherforthe firsttime." Keepyour
pitchunder15 minutes &letthemask questionsafterward.
Act out yourpitch,playthe characters. Take an improvisationoractingclassto hone yourpitchingskills.
If you’re too shy,hire an actor to performthe pitchfor you. Practice the pitchuntil youare relaxed
tellingit,testitonfriendsif youcan.
70% of your pitcheswontsell,butactpositive &easytowork withto everyone,&youmay gethiredto
write somethingelse. Don’tpitchdrunkor hungover. If the studiowantsyourmovie they’llaskyour
repsfor yourquote (the amountof $ a majorstudiopaidyoufor the lastcomparable movie youwrote).

2. If you don’tyethave a quote,the WritersGuildstandardminimumyouwill be paidforyourfirst
screenplay(asof 2011) is$109,783 ($43,875 to start writing,$43,875 for turninginthe 1st
draft,&
$22,033 forthe final draft). Guildminimumforaspec scriptis $80,427. Sometimesittakesmonthsto
getpaid. If more than 1 studiowantstobuy yourmovie,theywill have abiddingwar. Your2nd
movie
deal will payabout10% more,evenif your1st
movie dindtgetmade. If yourmovie makesits$ back,
youmay get upto 30% more for the nextmovie. If yourmovie made afortune,youcouldgetaround
$2millionforthe next,butonlyabout20 writersgetpaidthat. You onlygetabout25% of whatyou
make,because the agenttakesabout10%, manager10%, lawyer5%,businessmanager5%,writers
guild1.5%,federal income tax &Californiastate income tax. If your1st
movie isa flop,evenif itsnot
your fault,youmightnoteverworkagain.
Repswill alsonegotiate foryoutogeta producer/directordeal,separatedrights(soyougeta “written
by” creditand make $ if your movie ismerchandised,made intoatvshow,etc),last-writerbonus(if you
were the lastor onlywriter),box office bonus(extra$if your movie makescertainamountsof $),
passive paymentsonsequels,remakes,etc(if asequel ismade yougetpaidat least50% of what you
made for the 1st
movie,whetheryouworkonitor not). You wontgetmost of thisstuff until your
movieshave made abouta billionbucksatthe box office.
Aftera deal isclosed,you’ll signacontract. Sendyourreps(andany producersinvolved) alittle gift
(tomusuallysendsredwine,bensendssake). Sometimesaroundthe time youhave givenyour1st
draft,
the studiomaygive younotesof thingstochange. Keepactinggrateful andexcitedortheycouldback
out of the deal.
Standardtime periodtowrite a 1st
draftis 10 weeks(turningitinearly,about8 weeks,isgood),then
the studiohas 6 weekstoread it& replywithnotes,andthenyouhave another6 weekstodothe
revisions(spyglassfilmsstartsfollowingupon aboutday two).
Because of the economy,studiosmayfire youif your1st
draftisn’tgood,theywontevengive younotes.
Jointhe WritersGuildof America,West. Theycharge 1.5% of your earningsbutprotectyouwith
contracts, healthinsurance &a pension,&theymake sure youcollectresiduals. Theyalsohave ascript
library@ theirL.A.office. Tojoin,youfirsthave to be paidfor your writing(doesn’thave tobe
produced,justboughtor optioned) &the workhasto be performedunderaWritersGuildcontract for a
producerwhohas signedthe WGA MinimumBasicAgreement.
If you wantto direct,watch LivinginOblivion,Heartsof Darkness, Burdenof Dreams, andLostin La
Mancha thensee howyoufeel aboutit. The directoristhe onlyjobona movie setyoucan getwithno
experience, everythingelse requiresuniontraining. Gooddirectorsmake muchmore $ than eventhe
bestscreenwriters. Directingisnotfun,itsverystressful. IttakesLOTS of patience. You’ll be onset,or
scoutinglocations,casting,meetingwiththe wardrobedesignerorcgi team, etc. you may have to
rebuildaset,thenmaybe cut the whole scene (whichcouldwaste millionsof dollars).
Somethingyouspentmonthswritingcouldbe changedinsecondsbythe director. If a directorsays“im
a writertoo”,that meansthey’re goingtochange your scripta lot and make yourlife hell. Butalways
stay positive –give themoptions&helphoweveryoucanso theywantto keepyouaround& mightnot
hire otherwriters. The director& firstassistantdirectorare the most importantpeople onthe set.
If you wantto be happyinfilm& wantyour visionof afilmto be made,become aneditor. The hours
are good,and youdecide howthe movie goes.
The produceraccepts the academyaward forbestpicture. Theyare responsible foreverything,even
hiringthe director. Theyyell alot& sometimesthrow stuff.
10 stepsto turningina script:

3. 1: make sure it’sthe rightlength(100-110 pagesfora comedy,alittle longerforadrama). A “shooting
draft” will be longer,buta1st
draftshouldn’tbe. Trimanyspeecheslongerthan1.5 minutes,& if you
have twothat long,cut one out entirely. Re-wordsentencestomake themshorterif youneed.
2: make sure yourscript isformattedcorrectly. There are differentstandardsforscreenplays,sitcoms,
1-hour dramas,etc. See pics001-003 for an example (some studiosrequiredifferentformatsasseenin
the pics,have your repsgetsample scriptsfrom the studios). Note where the transitions,scene
headings,action,dialogue,andparentheticalsgo. Final Draft will evenregisteryourscriptwiththe wga
for you.
3: make sure your title page isformatted&datedcorrectly(see pic004 for an example).
4: spell checkandproofreadyourscript,thenpaya professional about$100 to proofreadit.
Remember,“it’s”isalwaysacontractionof “it is” – thiscomesup often.
5: if anythingyouwrote isreal,fact-checkyourscript. It all has to be 100% right.
6: inFinal Draft,clear yourrevisionmarks(clickedit,selectall,clearrevisions). ThenclickFile,Save As,
& save as a pdf. Alwaysturninscriptsas a pdf because thenif itneedstobe editedthey’llcome toyou
for the Final Draftversion,andthat maybe the onlywayyou’ll know you’ve beenreplaced. If you’re
turningina 2nd
draft or a polish,turnin1 pdf WITH the revisionmarks& the word“markedrev”inthe
title (suchasYourMovie:seconddraft1/23/11/MARKEDREV.pdf),and1 clean pdf (YourMovie:second
draft 1/23/11/CLEAN.pdf).
7: save all drafts,don’tdelete them. Save yourofficial draft(the 1you’re givingtothe studio)
somewhere else &backeverythingupinmultiple places.
8: registeryourscriptwiththe WGA (wgaw.registry.org). its$10 forGuildmembers&$20 for
nonmembers. Youshouldalreadybe amemberthough,butif not youstill wantto registerittoprotect
it fromotherwriters& frombeingstolenbya studio.
9: don’tturn yourscript inuntil yougetyour commencementcheck(youragentneedstocall the studio
& tell themthe scriptis done).
10: turn in yourscriptby emailingthe pdf toyourreps. They mayhave notes,staypositive. Whenyou
are establishedinthe business,you’llalsoemail yourscriptstoyourexecutive,producers,director,&
sometimesthe actors,andCC yourrepsso theycan bill forit. NeverforgettoCCsomeone who’s
supposedtogeta copy, they’ll take itpersonally. Andneveremail ittosomeone whosnotsupposedto
getit, the studiowill freakout&may sue you.
The head of the studiowill notreadyourscript yet,the StoryDepartmentreadsitfirst. Thenthey
provide asummaryto the executives. Somake sure theygive goodcoverage bymakingita delightto
read. The “reader”will gradyou onthe moviesrating(Gor PG isbestfor a huge box office because R
ratingslimitthe age of the audience),the targetaudience (the more movie-goersthe better),the costof
movie production,how easilythe moviecanbe cast (there HASto be a juicyrole forsome movie star
whocan opena movie),howmarketable the movie is(toystory&the hangovercan be marketed,
almostany ToddSolondzmovie cant),andwhetherthe movie isanygood. Theyusuallythinkall scripts
have Act IIIproblems.
You will be firedfrom99%of all the scriptsyou workon because the studiowants“fresheyes”(new
writers). Again,keepapositive attitudeanddon’tworry,itsjustgettingyourmovie closertoproduction
and theresa 50% chance you’ll be rehired. If people change thingsinthe script& youget rehiredtofix
it,you can change it all back (thiswill alsogive youthe credit).
If your movie getsmade & itsucks,don’tworry aboutit,95% of moviessuck. Some peoplewillblame
you,some wont. Sometimesamovie getsscrewedupbecause of “developmenthell” –whenyouget
unluckywithabad/dumbexecutiveorjuniorexecwhowantschangestothe scriptbefore turningitin

4. to the studiopresident(thiscantake years). If an executivesays“the protagonistisn’tlikeable enough”,
youare screwed,itmeansthe executive isprobablydumbandhasnothingtosay butis gonnasay it
anyway. Developmenthell WILLhappentoyousome time.
If there’san outside produceronyourscriptand theygive younotesyouhave to dothembut youdon’t
getpaid forthe “producersdraft”.
Whenanyone givesyounotes,write downwhattheysay,andinthe script include aliteral lineorphrase
that theysaid. For example if the studioheadsays“Ifeel likeour maincharacterneverappreciated
thingsthat were rightunderhisnose”,yournextdraftshouldinclude dialoguelikethis:
RICK
Until that genie made me switch lives with
that ol’ basset hound, I never appreciated
the things right under my nose.
Show that you’re listeningtonotesbysubtle &steadynodding. Whenthey’re right,agree &improve on
the idea& make your ideafeel liketheiridea. Whentheirideaiswrong,tell themyou’ll tryitor say“im
not sure if itsgoingto work,but imdefinitelygoingtotryit.” And thentry it. Or whenyou’re alone you
can do the good notes& skipor glossoverthe bad ones. Forexample if theywantthe starto fart all the
time & yougive the star a dogwho fartsa couple of times,the studiowill lovethatyouput“theiridea”
intothe script. If you can make theirideasintogoodones,youwill increaseyourchance of getting
rehired.
The first10 minutesof all Hollywoodmeetingsare usuallysmall talk&gossip. Neverjoke aboutthe
failuresmade by the people whoare inthe roomwithyou,lookup the people you’re meetingwithon
imdb.comfirst. If you’re notsure,shutup.
The onlystudiosare Warner Bros.,Paramount,Sony,Columbia,20th
CenturyFox,BuenaVista(Disney),
Universal,Lionsgate,Fox Searchlight,The WeinsteinCompany,SummitEntertainment,FocusFeatures,
and Overture Films.
Whenyouhave perfectedyourspecscriptor pitch,youcan take it to executives,directors,or
producers. If a producerlikesitthey’ll goaroundtostudios withyou. Theycan make a scriptmuch
better. Goodproducersknowwhoat the studiotopitchto. But ben/tomtryneverto attach producers
to a projectbecause theyare expensive &theirnotesmayconflictwiththe studiosnotes. The studiois
the buyer& onlytheirnotesmatter.
Herbie fullyloadedsuckedbecauseof one lone executive,notthe directoror26 screenwriters. Thiswill
happentoyou. The presidentlovedthe script&the studiogreenlitthe movie off the 1st
draft,but then
the dumbexecutive forcedchangestothe scriptthatmade it toocute and dumb. Thishappensoften:
the executive orproducerjustdoesn’tunderstandthe basicideathatthe presidentlikedandbought.
Remember–do a versionof the peoplesnotesinawaythat actuallyworks& if youcan masterthisskill
all of Hollywoodwill be yours. If some idiotistryingtoderail yourscript,tryto get a meetingwithyou
and the idiotandthe studioat the same time,soyou’re all onthe same page. If the idiot& studio
agree,doit & be superpolite &respectful.
If the personyoure pitchingtofallsasleep,don’twake them.
Writersdon’toftengetinvitedtoa table read,butincase youdo make sure the scriptistrimmedtoa
bare minimum. There will be celebrities&powerful peoplerehearsingyourscript&you donwantit to
take so longthat everyone rushestothe bathroomwhenitsdone. If somethingissaidtwice,cutthe 2nd

5. time itssaidunlessit’sacallbackor the themof the entire movie. Cutwaydownon actiondescriptions.
Your movie hasto be a hitinternationallytoosodon’tinsultothercountriesinthe script. If the most
expensive sequencesinthe filmwontbe inthe trailerornecessarytothe story,recommendtrimsto
your ownscript,You will be appreciatedforit.
As a movie getsclosertoproduction,ActIIIseemstoalwaysbe a problem. Youmayhave to write a lot
of differentversionsbutstaypositive&accommodating.
If a star saysthey’re interestedinyourmovie,itsoff the marketforanybodyelse. Theydon’thave to
signanythingor commitanyfurther. If theyonlymake 1 movie peryeartheymaybe a “contemplative
star” & take yearsto decide when/if todothe movie.
Make sure your movie canbe marketedtopeople whopayto see moviesintheatersregularly. Addthe
words“in 3d” underyour title onthe title page,thisispopularlately.
If the executivewholikedyourmovie getsfired,yourmovieisprobablydeadbecause if the movie
bombsthe newexecutivewillgetfired,&if itsucceedsthe firedexecutive will getthe credit. Help
executiveskeeptheirjobsbywritingagoodscript& usingtheirnotes.
But “turnaround”ispossible –thisiswhena studiosellsyourscriptto anotherstudio. For example Fox
paidfor the Reno911 pilotbutdidn’tpickit up,yearslaterComedyCentral boughtthe rightstothe pilot
fromFox. Universal boughtETfrom Columbia,&Fox boughtSpeedfromParamount.
If you are asked tobe involvedinyourmoviesmarketing,doeverythingyoucan. Good marketingis
much more importantthana good script. Your movie needsitsowntwitteraccount&facebookpage. If
your star ispresentingata televisedawardshow,write themsome goodbanter. Write aFunnyor Die
videofeaturingthe cast,the intendedaudience shouldbe teenageboys.
If the studioletsyouwrite ashort promofor ShoWest(atrade show for moviestotheaterowners),do
it. Write anyads for yourmovie thatyou can, itll be lessembarrassingthanthe marketingdepartments
version. Youmay have to include productplacementinyourscript – don’tgripe,make itseemas
organicas you can. Offerto write scriptsforComic-Convideopresentations,have smartthingstosay
aboutthe movie if youare on a panel there.
Meetthe marketingdepartmentatyourstudio,helpthemkeeptheirjobsjustlike studioexecutives.
Get to knowthem& make the movie happen.
Sometimesafilmwilltestverywellatscreenings,butbombatthe box office. ThishappenedwithTaxi
but the studioconvertedthe deal intothe scriptforNightat the Museumwhichturnedoutto be the
highestgrossingliveactioncomedyinhistory,sostaypositive.
“Writtenby” isthe bestcredityou can get,you’ll getabout1.5% of the moviesprofits. If yougeta
“story by”credityou getabout half that,& no more than 2 writerscanevershare thiscredit.
The easiestwayto geta “basedon characters createdby” creditisto write a comicbookfirst(especially
a verysimple concept) –for example 30Days of Nightwas pitchedasa movie byitsauthors butstudios
weren’tinterested,thentheymade acomicbookof it& itstarteda biddingwar.
To get separatedrightsyoumusthave a “story by”,“screenstoryby”, or “writtenby”credit. You’ll
almostnevergetseparatedrightsbutif youdo youget rightsto write the sequel &otherperks/$.
If your movie sucksyoucan use a pseudonymif youmade lessthan$200,000. You have to registerthe
fake name withthe Guild.
The only2 bars inL.A. that ben& tom write atare The Village IdiotandThe Cat AndFiddle,&only
duringthe day because itstoobusyat night. The bestbars youare guaranteedtosee bigtime movie
stars are The Gerard Lounge inVancouverCanada,andTallulahWine Bar inBirmingham, MI.

6. You’ll spendhoursintrafficsotake audiobooksor listentoNPRor something.
Everysingle Hollywoodstudiohasthe same movie structure –3 acts. From Casablancato the Matrix,
theyall have usedthe same structure and if yoursdoesn’t,itwontsell. Forexample, act1 – aliensarrive
on earth,act 2 – theykickour ass,act 3 – we kicktheirass. Withinthose 3 acts, thingsALWAYSgo like
this: pages1-10 we meetyourheroand the worldtheylive in(welcome toKansas,heresDorothy). If
you’ve createdacharacter or situationthatcant be explainedinabout10 pages,itsWRONG andyoure
makingan art movie orindependentfilm&the studioswonttouchit unlessyou’re jamesCameron. In
the matrix pages1-10 we’re ina worldwhere people canalmostfly. We meetneowhosenses
something’sodd&wantsto findoutwhat the matrix is.
Page 10: the “incitingincident”(somethingunusualhappenstoyourherotostart theiradventure,such
as luke skywalkerseeingprincessleia’shologramcryforhelp,neomeetstrinity,etc). butthe hero
doesn’tdive inyet(neodoesnothingaftertrinitytellshimshe knowswhatthe matrix is,he goesto
workthe nextday& acts like itdidn’thappen). Ineveryscriptthathaseversold,the incitingincidentis
on page 10.
Page 25: yourherodivesin& islaunchedintothe story. Betweenpages10 & 25, the plothas thickened
& now yourherohas no choice butto get involved(neohasseensome unexplainable shit:theyerased
hismouth,put an androidshrimpinhisbelly,etc. On page 25 he takesthe redpill.)
Aroundpages45-50: thingsgetworse (forthe last 20 pagesneogot newsthatthe worldwasdestroyed,
he is The One that’s supposedtosave the world,etc. Onpage 45 he leapsoff the buildingtoprove he’s
The One butfallsonhisface).
Aroundpages65-70: somethingevenworse happens(onpage 65 the oracle tellsneohe’sNOTThe One
& Cypherturnstraitor & triesto kill themall).
Aroundpages70-80: thingsgetas bad as possible (theagentshave Morpheus,neohas tochoose hislife
or morpheus’seventhoughhe knowsitsimpossiblebecause hesnotThe One).
Pages80-90: showthe audience the winningisgonnabe evenharderthanwe thoughtitwas gonnabe
(neofightssmithandisno match forhim).
Aroundpages90-100: the climax,yourherowins(neodefeatsagentsmith,dies,&comesbackto life).
Final pages: yourherowalksoff intothe sunset(neofliesoff intothe sunset –he isThe One). The
worldhas beenchangedforthe betterbyyourhero,the badguy isdead,etc.
Whennamingcharacters,make sure no 2 characters’namesstart withthe same letter – evennameless
characters,for example Greta&Gay BirthdayClown#1. Thisis because inFinal Drafttheresanoption
calledSmartType,whichwilladdthe name of the character in the CharacterSlugLine justby typingthe
1st
letterof the charactersname. By nothaving2 namesthatstart withthe same letter,youcansave
up to 5 minutesperhourby not havingtopick which“g”-namedcharactereachtime youtype.
The onlyway a studiowill make yourmovie isif astar wantsto playyour hero. So yourhero needsto
be likable,cool (evencoolerbythe endof the movie),&attractive (sometimesanactresswill playan
uglyrole to winan Oscar butif youre tryingtowinOscars you boughtthe wrongbook).
No bookcan teach you to formulate characters – youneedto experience life&hearpeoplesstories&
watch goodmoviesover&over,etc and mostof all practice/write all the time. Make yourheroso
likable thateverykidwillwanttobe your heroforthe restof theirlife,like Indianajones,batman,harry
potter,johnconnor,etc. youneedtomake up a situationtothrust yourheroin that onlytheycan
solve. Ormaybe theyhad a chance to be a heroonce butblew itor maybe theywere a gunslingerbut
he “doesn’tdothat anymore”etc.
You onlyhave about100 pagesto sayeverythingaboutyourcharacters,itsnot a novel. Be succinct,not
vague. Your maincharacter mustbe clearinthe first10 pages. Watch Die Hard – itscharacters are

7. incrediblyclear,they’re introducedwithveryefficientexposition,&theyre aperfectcomboof
archetypal characters: the hero’sflawisthathe takesbeinga cop so seriouslythatithasgotteninthe
wayof hismarriage,he has slightlygoofybuddieswhoendupbeingsmart,the villainisjustassmart&
likable asthe hero,the villainhasasidekickwhosmuchmore evil &hateable thanhe is,andthe hero&
villainhave tonsof likablesupportingcharacters&you understandthemall inabout5 seconds – the
pluckylimodriver,the twinkie-chuggingcopwhoonce shot a kid,the pricktabloidnewsguyyoujust
wantto see get punchedinthe face,etc.
Write your dialogue withspecificactorsinmind,itll helpthinkof dialogue &how itll be said. Leave
nothingtoimaginationsothe studioscaneasilypicture it. See pics005 & 006 foran example.
Make yourcharacter feel real,evne if theyhave superpowers,orare dead,etc – make sure the actions
are logical/real (forexample superman1wasgood butthe resthad cartoonycharacters whodidstuff
that didn’tmake sense). Yourcharacter shouldbe as real as yournextdoor neighboror1st
crush, butas
cool as Hans Soloor Leia,& the problemshouldfeel asreal asa stopped-upseptictank,onlyitshouldbe
guardedbyrobotic centaurs& onlya one-in-a-millionshotwithaprotontorpedocan unclogit.
A filmschool maytell youto“create a cradle-to-grave biographyof yourcharacters”,youdon’thave to
do that unless youpreferto.
Make sure the big problemyourcharactersface is fun(like beingtrappedinamuseumovernightwitha
T Rex,not cancer or worldpoverty).
Maybe wearcarpal tunnel gloves,orgoogle how toprevent/treatit. If yourhandsgetnumbor cold or
tinglyyouneedtochange your wristpositionbecause itscausingcarpal tunnel.
Writingscreenplaysiseasy,becausewritingoutlinesishard&time-consuming.
OpeningFinal Drafttowrite a screenplaybeforeyouhave anoutline will be frustrating&you’ll giveup.
Moviesthat didn’thave outlinesdidn’tmake $,such as Empire & Eraserhead. Afterexaminingyour
storyfrom everyangle &you have writtenthe outline,all that’sleftiscreatingdialogue,action&gags.
Outlinesshouldbe long,about20 pages. Write out the whole movie exceptdialogue. Itll prevent
writersblockbecause the longeranoutline isthe more problemsyou’veworkedoutinadvance. See
folder“outlines”for3 sample outlines. Itsokto change thingsfromthe outline tothe screenplay.
Make a deadline &stickto it,or youre writingfora hobbynota living.
Whenwritingaction& description,keepitsimple(forexampleafterevery slugline foralocation:
EXT. WAREHOUSE – NIGHT
A dark,abandonedwarehouse onaseedypier. Ansuvisparkedbeside it,enginerunning.)
That’s it- don’tgo onand on, studioswill thinkyou’re paddingpagestomake the scriptlongenoughor
theywill skim&missimportantthings. The pointisto describe inaway that makeseverythingvery
easyto picture. If it takeslongerthanan hour toread yourscript no one inHollywoodwillhave the
focusto finishit. Anyparagraphthat takesup a sizeable chunkof the page istoo long.
Whenwritingactionscenes,clarityismostimportant,butstill staysimple&awesome.
If the scene hasmany people don’tdescribe the actionof eachone,heresanexample fromSaving
Private Ryan:
“More GIs pour outonto the beach,as Nazismow themdownfromtheirconcrete bunkers. It’sa
MASSACRE:GIs drownin hailsof underwaterbullets;aGIwitha flamethrowerexplodesinflames,killing
the entire plattoninhislandingcraft.”
If your actionscene iswrittenwell itcouldbe filmedexactlyhow youwrote itbecause the director
doesn’tusuallydirect&change them,the CGI guys & secondunitdirectordo.

8. If writingwitha partner,ben& tom suggestwritingyouroutlineata bar. Thenyou can drinkbeer&
lookat people,&drinkinghelpscome upwithjokes. Whenyouroutline isdone,layoutall the pages
and flipacoin,one of youtakesthe oddpages& the othertakeseven(butdon’tsplitalove scene,an
actionsequence,etc). thengotoyour separate homes&turn yourfirstpage fromoutline intoscript.
Email themto eachother & add theirstoyours(you’ll now have pages1 & 2 of the outline writtenas
about14 to 20 pagesof script). Thenread whatyou have sofar & tweakit:make it better,faster,
funnieretc.
Continue thatwithall the pagesof the outline andsoonyou’ll have writtenthe scriptinhalf the time it
would’ve takentowrite alone orinthe same roomwitha partner (theresnothingworse thanlooking
overeach othersshoulders). Andyouwill have polishedthe script20 times,soyourfirstdraft will really
be like your20th
.
If your partnercuts one of yourjokesoutof the script,don’targue just putit back if youwant to. If they
cut it outagain,leave itout. Tom & Bendevelopedthese techniquesoveraperiodof 10 years. To write
witha partneryou musttrust eachother,you musthave the same sense of humor,youmust be egoless
(don’tfightforsomethingjustbecause youwrote it,onlyif itsactuallygood),&don’tbitch.
If you don’tknowhowto spell aword or putan accent on a letter,spell itwrongonpurpose (for
example soufleeeorfaacaaade) thenpress“Command”onthe keyboard& Final Draftwill spell checkit
& showyou a lostof options.
About90% of the time that a studiobuysa movie,theywill hate itandthe writerbecause of the script
the writerturnsin or the “development”jobthe studiodid,butthey’ll still make the movie. They’ll hire
“fresheyes”butyou’ll still getpaid.
Andyou mayget hiredtorewrite someone else’sscript,that’show alotof writersgetstartedinthe
business.
A studiomayask yourrepsif you’re interestedinrewritingascript,buta lot of the time theywontlet
youread itbecause itsso bad. If you getit,read itmore than once & take notes,inlessthana week
you’ll be pitchingyourchangestothe studio.
Pointoutthe differencesfromthe oldscript,make the pitchshort,clear,&awesome. Whenben&tom
pitcha rewrite theyALWAYSstarta meetingbysaing“we hope we don’toffendanybody. Don’ttake
thispersonally –butwe’re goingtobe 100 percenthonestaboutthisscript”but theyare tactful about
the writerbecause itcould’ve beenwrittenbysomeone inthe room. Forexample say“the dialogue
doesn’tsoundthe wayreal people talk,itall needstobe replaced”. Tell themgeneral changedsuchas
“act 2 is toolong,im gonnashave off about10 pages”,or be specificsuchas“im gonnamake the
plumberonpage 10 intoa locksmith.”
The studioisalwaysright. If you hate somethingthattheylove,youcanfix it. If theylike ascene where
banana police teachabunch of monkeystodo a dance,ask whatit isabout the scene theylike –do they
like thattheyteachthe monkeys‘something’?orthattheyteach‘someone’ todance? If theylike itthe
wayit is,leave it. But mostlyconvince the studioyousee the potential theysee.
Rewritesare a greatgig because it’saway forthe studiotoget to know yourwork. Plusfixingsomeone
elsesscriptmakesyoua hero. You getpaidby the weekforrewrites(about$10k forbeginners).
You’ll make evenmore $ forProductionRewrites –whenafilmhasbeengreenlit&the studiostill hates
it (thishappensall the time,herbie fullyloadedhad24 writersAFTERit wasgreenlit). Sometimesa
directorwill wantyouto addthingsthat the studiohates,youhave to try to dowhat theyall want,but
the studioismore important(buttry to make the script goodinsteadof accommodating). If amovie
star givesyounotes,showthe draftto the studio& make THEM take outthe movie star’sstuff.
Productionrewritesare alotof work,youmay have to rewrite ascene that’sbeingfilmedrightnowand

9. youwont getscreencredit. Tom & benhad to rewrite the first30 pagesof starsky& hutch 3 timesina
week. You’ll be calledatall hours.
An agentor anotherwritermayinvite youtoa Roundtable. Thisiswhenyouare givena comedyscript
(usuallygreenlit) andhave 1 nighttoread it & write jokesinthe margins. The nextdayyouand 7 to 12
otherwriterssitarounda table withthe director& you all pitchyour jokes. Itsfunbutyou don’tget
paid,butdo thembecause youcan meetdirectors,execs,&goodwriters.
Sometimesyoumaybe askedtowrite jokes/linesforascene that’salreadybeenfilmed –the wordsyou
write have tomatch the actors mouthand theydubit. It happensa lot.
A movie starmay hire theirownwriter. Don’tbe weirdattheirnotesmeeting, be respectful &don’tact
like afan. Andif yougo intheirtrailerdon’tsay“jeez,thisthingisbiggerthanmy whole house”,
everyone saysit&its unprofessional. Treatthemjusta little bitspecial like they’re the downtoearth
membersof the royal family.
You needtoagree withall of the stars notesor you’ll getfired.
Be veryfamiliarwithall of yourmovie star’swork. Don’tdiscusstheirflops,butif theycome uphave
somethingpositive tosayaboutthem.
Don’ttalk toomuch, onlywhenyouhave somethingsmart/clever/funny/interestingtosay. Don’task
for anythingincludingwater–people wantthingsfromthemall daylong. Beinga choice that a movie
star preferswill getyoulotsof opportunities.
To get screencreditandroyalties youwill almostalwayshave toarbitrate – youll write astatementto
the Writersguildsayingwhyyoudeserve creditandthe otherwritersdonot. You have to have
contributedmore than33% of the screenplay. If itsanoriginal screenplayyouhave tocontribute 50%.
You have to state whyyou fill these requirements&whynoother writerdoes. Otherwriterswillbe
ruthlessintheirstatements&youmustbe too. The arbitrationcommittee will judge whogetsscreen
credit. Your entertainmentlawyercanhelpyougeta good arbiterbefore the otherguydoes. Theycost
up to $10k but are worth itif you win.
Dissecteverydraftof the scripts& determinewhowrote it(itshouldbe mostlyyou,soif you’re doinga
rewrite,change everythingyoucan). Name changes of characters & changesto dialogue fool the
committee intothinkingmore waschangedthanactuallywas. Your statementneedstobe amazing&
state your case veryclearly. It can take as longto write as the script. People will trytosteal your
royalties. Reinforce you“emotional attachment”tothe film. If youwin,give a verynice gifttothe
arbiterso they’ll take yournextcase evenif the otherwriterasksfirst.
The WritersGuildis the onlyunionthatpitsitsmembersagainsteach other.
Ben& tomsuggestinvestinginmunicipal bonds,theyare tax free soa gain of 5% is really10%.
Nevermentionasequel until yourfilmisahuge hit,$200milliondomesticisagoodguideline.
If your screenplayisbasedona book,videogame,comic,etc,tell yourmanagertoget the screenrights.
If theyhaven’talreadybeensold,yourmanagerwill negotiate aprice foryou. Youcan buythe rights
yourself butthat’swhyyouhave a manager,letthemdo the work.
If you wantto get the rightsyourself,googlethe publisherof the story,thencontact the subsidiary
rightsdepartment. Orif it’sa true storyfinda phone # for people inthe story. If they’re dead,contact
theirfamilytofindoutwhohas the rights. Usuallywhenyouoption(buy) the rightstosomething
there’sanupfrontfee,could be $50k or more or less – or youcan get a writtenagreementthatthe
author wontgetpaidunlessthe scriptgetsmade intoa movie (thenthe studiowouldpaythem).

10. You can buy the rightsor take the ideatoa studioandtheywill buythem. Butif youcan affordit,buy
them– you’ll getto negotiate forbackend& maybe become producer. Yourlawyerwill negotiatethe
price & conditionsof the rights& they’ll draw upa contract.
The screenrights usuallyonlylasta yearor so, butthe authorkeepsyourmoney.
Adaptingmaterial isagreat ideabecause studioshate takingrisks,theylove buyingmoviesthatare
basedon somethingthathasalreadyproventobe successful.
Ben& tomsuggestdrinkingduringwriting,ithelpscome upwithmore/betterideas.
Final thought: there will alwaysbe writerswhoare more connectedthanyou,butHollywoodwill
alwaysneednewwritersandyoucan alwaysworkharderthanthe nextguy,sodo.