“The Log Line”

The log line must show what your movie is about. You have about a minimum of five or six words and a maximum of three, five to six word sentences to show it in the log line. The shorter, the better. If you are serious about writing, selling and getting your screenplays produced, then, you must think in terms of writing lean and mean. Lean and mean is the same thing, as the shorter, the better. This attitude will help you write to industry standards and help you hone your craft as a screenwriter.

A key here, is to use active verbs. Use them in your log lines, use them in your synopses, use them in your treatments and use them in your screenplays. The use of active verbs will help you streamline your writing. It will force you to write that show your descriptions and condense your dialogue. Think in terms of writing it with a beginning, a middle and an ending. Think of it the same way as movie trailers you see on television or in the theater. Think of writing the log line paralleling the same method that you read about them in television and movie guides.

Start your log line out with the main character. You should follow that with the description of the plot and end it with a hook that seduces people in wanting to read your screenplay.

An example that has been very successful for me with a screenplay I wrote, CATCHING THE FALL, is as follows: A common Joe races the clock to restore his son back to normal after the boy goes brain dead. Here, you can see who the main character is: A common Joe. The plot is: races (the key active verb) the clock to restore his son back to normal. And the ending hook is: after the boy goes brain dead. So, fix yourself up some potatoes and gravy and get to work on your log line.

Award-winning, writer/filmmaker, Donald L. Vasicek, dimensionalizes Olympus Films+, LLC’s services. He will bring you 35 years of writing and film making experience. Need to put your project together in a coherent fashion, but are stuck! Your storyline is rocky! What shots are you missing? Does your theme escape you, runs like an Olympic sprinter, away from you?  Whatever else needs repair so that you can move to the next level in your film, you will benefit by contacting Mr. Vasicek.

dvasicek@earthlink.net, http://michaelc.nextmp.net/wordpress, 303-903-2103.
Rates/Fees affordable, negotiable and fair to fit your budget.
Contact him today so that you can move forward tomorrow!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donald_L._Vasicek

“The Zen of Spec Script Versus Shooting Script”

A shooting script, written from the
spec script by a screenwriter with
the director, puts everything in the
screenplay that needs to be there
for shooting. Therefore, the lines
spoken in a foreign language are
written out in its native language
for the actors.

The first time a character in your
spec script speaks in a foreign
language, simply put under the
character’s name in parenthesis,
(Spanish). Then proceed to write
the dialogue in English throughout
the rest of the script.

Remember, a spec script is written
to get doors to open. So, the
screenwriter must make the screenplay
easy to read, fast to read, and cut-to-the-
chase so that the reader can move on to
the next script he or she has to read.
They don’t want to stumble upon some
foreign language. They’ll toss the script
in the slush pile.

Donald L. Vasicek
Writer/Filmmaker/Consultant
http://michaelc.nextmp.net/wordpress
dvasicek@earthlink.net

“Market Ready Screenplays”

Writing screenplays and getting them
sold and produced are highly competitive.
One must write screenplays that are
market ready. To do anything less will
result in failure.

A market ready screenplay requires
dialogue, characterization, format, plot, subplot(s),
action, narrative, description, etc. that must
execute genres which people will go see at the
movie theater.

To write a market ready screenplay, the writer
must study screenplays that have been box
office hits. Once that is accomplished, the
screenwriter should then write their screenplay
that is fresh and unique, but yet, parallels
that of box office hits.

For example, a romantic comedy simply
requires the question, will the couple in
question, get together or not? The
twist here must be unique and fresh. “Must
Love Dogs” starring Diane Lane and John
Cusack exhibits the twist that Ms. Lane is
seeking a man through ads. The require-
ment, he must love dogs. Well, guess
what, Mr. Cusack doesn’t love dogs, but
she falls for him anyway, and on it goes.

Study the genre you’re interested in writing.
Study the format. The writing. Incorporate
a fresh and unique approach to your genre
of interest. This can be accomplished via
a new twist that has never before been
used in the genre of your choice.

Donald L. Vasicek
Writer/Filmmaker/Consultant
Olympus Films+, LLC
http://michaelc.nextmp.net/wordpress
dvasicek@earthlink.net