“Six of the Best”(file under screenwriting… part three)
I’m not sure how Lacey Chabert (pictured above) went from being the whiney-girl on PARTY OF FIVE to gracing the cover of Maxim - but this proves that anything is possible. And with that in mind, here are my six simplest and favorite tips for the Indie Screenwriter. These ‘pointers’ might seem obvious - then again, they have served me well in the decade that I have been writing screenplays. You might be familiar with these ideas, already. If so - remember them well. And if you are not familiar with them - read on…
i) BE BRIEF - keep it around 90 pages
If you are writing a script to make rather than to sell, keep it short. 90 pages is enough. Each page after 90 costs more time and money to make - pushing it further from being done. So tell your story in or around 90.
ii) LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION - NOT
Minimize the amount of locations used in your story. Again it’s a money and feasibility thing. The less locations the cheaper shooting is. But don’t get tricky either. If you live in Michigan - try not to set your movie in Moscow. Be smart. If your Dad owns the local Gas Station - set your movie there.
iii) CHARACTERS NOT JAMES BOND
Make your script about the characters - not the action. It should be all about the characters - not like James Bond where there’s a huge plot centered around world domination. Indie films that succeed are all about characters and minimal plots. Think SLINGBLADE or CLERKS.
iv) NO VISUAL EFFECTS
It is your job to tell your story without the use of explosions, elaborate make-up, costumes or expensive external elements. Don’t write gunfights - they will be expensive and look implausible. Don’t have monsters - unless we never see them. Think of it more like a stage production. If there’s a rainstorm - we only ever hear it, off-screen.
v) MORE INSIDE THAN OUT
Interiors can be lit and rented cheaper and easier than exteriors. You can control the sound and the conditions. That being the case - it will always make sense to write the majority of your movie as an interior.
vi) IT CAN BE MORE TALKIE
Studio pictures minimize dialogue in their screenplays because they want to sell there movie to every non-english speaking country that they can. The more visual their movies, the more easily they translate to foreign countries and foreign markets. The reverse is true for you on one level. You can write more dialogue because the independent market has a more forgiving and more esoteric audience. And let’s face it - in some cases - witty, involved dialogue is the hallmark of indie film.
You might find these writing seminars helpful…
Write a screenplay for an independent movie in 3 months.
Start (and finish!) your screenplay in three months.
August 10th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Matt - My surprise about Lacy is genuine. Although, she is even more staggering in a bikini. And as far as it goes, I will go to any length to educate people. If you want to know what an indie film is…
Wikipedia describes it as follows…
“An independent film, or indie film, is usually a low-budget film that is produced by a small movie studio. Additionally, the term is used to describe less commercially-driven art films which differ markedly from the norms of plot-driven, mainstream classical Hollywood cinema. These films are often produced by subsidiaries of larger studios, such as Sony Pictures Classics, as long as less than half of its budget comes from a major movie studio. In 2005, about 15% of the U.S. domestic box office revenue was from independent studios.[1] Independent films are often distinguishable by their content or style. The writer or director’s original authorial intent or personal creative vision is usually maintained in the final film.”
Hope that’s helpful…
August 10th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Thanks. I kept thinking India, not Independent. Makes much more sense why there’s so much more attraction for it out there, because I see it all the time, Indie movies, Indie music etc.
September 8th, 2009 at 7:27 am
ELLE EST TROP BONNE!!!!
C’EST UNE MéGA BOMBE….
October 18th, 2009 at 2:52 am
Great stuff. Keep it up!
November 11th, 2009 at 12:05 am
I think i have a friend that would find this very interesting. Keep well and thanks for the info!