Donald L. Vasicek

Category: Screenwriting

  • Writing/Screenwriting Scenes

    by
    Donald L. Vasicek

    Award-Winning Writer Donald L. Vasicek – Jenny's Lake – Grand Teton Park

    When writing scripts, always think of movies and how
    they transition from scene-to-scene. This is imperative.
    This approach gives you more of a director’s
    “eye.” In turn, the visual dynamics of writing visually
    become more prominent the more you do it.
    This gives a rhythm and movement to the entire script
    that binds it more tightly together. It also helps you
    avoid writer’s block. “Stepping” back and
    looking at a scene that you’ve written with the idea of
    looking at it like it is already a movie, when your mind
    is blocking out, will improve your visual writing dynamics
    and the scene. Step into the scene and become your
    character.

    For example, you have a character coming into a room.
    How should you write that? Step back and look at it
    as though you’re watching a movie? Think of a movie,
    or movies that you have seen with this kind of action
    with respect to the genre and kind of character you’re
    writing. How is the character coming into the room done?

    You will find that most good movies always cut-to-the-chase
    with each scene. They do not mess around with details
    that hinder the movement of the movie. If a character has
    to be thrown into the room because she is a prisoner of
    terrorists, then, throw her into the room. If a character simply
    has to walk into the room, then, cut-to-the-chase. Get her
    into the room as quickly as possible. Just make sure that
    it is consistent with the rhythm and movement of the entire
    story/script/movie/character.

    For example, a character in your story is mild-mannered.
    She loves daisies and brandy. She reads James Joyce.
    She is a certified public accountant for a large accounting
    firm. Everything she does has a place. How would you write
    her entering a room? She would enter the room with
    grace. She would smoothly take in everything in the
    room. She would then proceed with the reason she is
    entering the room.

    Making scenes sparkle like this enhances the screenwriter’s
    ability to excel in their craft.

    Donald L. Vasicek
    The Zen of Writing
    http://michaelc.nextmp.net/wordpress
    dvasicek@earthlink.net
    303-903-2103

  • “Screenplays, The Third Act”

    Billy Wilder

    Someone, I believe Billy Wilder (“Some Like It Hot”, “The Apartment”,
    “Double Indemnity”, “Sunset Boulevard”), said that “the third act must
    build, build, build.” This means that you must make the tension of
    what your main character is doing to achieve her/his goal go up, up,
    up, like using a corkscrew to open a bottle of wine. The more you
    twist, the tighter the tension in the cork becomes, until something
    gives, the cork breaks, or whoever is screwing in the corkscrew,
    decides it is time to pull out the cork with the corkscrew.

    In other words, make it more and more difficult for
    your main character to achieve her/his goal until
    she/he comes to a point where he/she must either
    give up her/his goal, or, he/she “goes over the top”,
    experiences an epiphany, and accomplishes the
    goal. Each obstacle (difficulty) must be more
    challenging than the last. It’s like putting your
    main character on a tree branch. Her/his
    opposition throws rocks at her/him until the
    branch breaks. Then, he/she falls in a raging
    river. Then, in the river, he/she fights to keep
    from drowning until he/she comes to a roaring
    waterfall. The question is, will she/he, survive
    the waterfall, or not?

    When you have your main character at the “waterfall”
    of your story, then you have your main character
    decide at that point, what she/he has to do to
    survive tumbling over the waterfall. To conquer
    this, the main character must overcome her/his
    greatest fear of accomplishing his/her goal
    throughout the story. If he/she does, then he/she
    experiences an epiphany. He/she faces her/his
    fear and overcomes it.

    Perhaps, instead of tumbling over the waterfall,
    getting battered to death by rocks, and drowning,
    which has been your main character’s primary fear
    that has been keeping her/him from accomplishing
    his/her goal in the story, that of the fear of drowning,
    your main character swims back upstream and saves
    herself/himself.

    This is the last event in the third act. From
    this point forward, wrap up all loose ends
    of your story, send your main character
    to the Olympics as a champion swimmer,
    and end your screenplay.

    I hope this has been of help to you.

    Best Regards,

    Donald L. Vasicek
    OLYMPUS FILMS+, LLC
    The Zen of Writing/Filmmaking/Consulting
    http://michaelc.nextmp.net/wordpress
    dvasicek@earthlink.net
    303-903-2103
    “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
    – Mahatma Gandhi

  • How To Thoughts on Breaking Through Hollywood’s Iron Wall

    A professional screenwriter is a screenwriter who has been produced and paid. A professional screenwriter follows Hollywood’s rules in order to get produced. Hollywood’s rules require screenwriters to follow genre formula’s in order to produce their films. This means that professional screenwriter’s utilize their creativity by creating fresh, compelling, and unique stories. This is the essence of utilizing one’s creativity in Hollywood.

    If a screenwriter wants to go independent of Hollywood in order to be creative, then, create to your heart’s delight. If a screenwriter wants to write screenplays simply to have fun writing screenplays, then be creative, have fun with it. If, however, a screenwriter desires to become a professional screenwriter, then, one must channel that creativity into specific channels in order to sell and get their screenplays produced in Hollywood.

    Simply remember that if you want to be successful in Hollywood, take chances with your screenwriting, but be prepared to work very hard if you veer off the cookie cutter path and create something of your own. It might take you eons to sell your work. The magic of Hollywood, however, never ceases to amaze people. That is why so many screenwriters strive to break through with their own kind of screenwriting.

    It has been my experience that perseverance, belief in one self, and being bold and assertive about your work and yourself when networking in the film business, can catapult you into the bright lights of Hollywood. You never know until you try it.

    Hollywood & Vine, Hollywood
    Hollywood & Vine, Hollywood