Re: Visiting Scriptwriting Formatting

 I have completed the first rough draft for my short film, "picking apart". I choose that title to be provisional while i started, since i find that getting stuck in minimal details will block you, the same way that i see, for example, that if i don't know how to solve a problem, I will to the next. However, i think that, as far as i come, that the tile is fitting, since in a metaphorical sense, I'm "picking apart" my character's personality and problems, and a play on words of how many people suffering from ARFID are considered "picky eaters". It was exhilarating to complete a script after not having done one since the summer and I tend to have multiple ideas playing in my head, but never find the time nor the energy to practice creative writing. I did found my moments where i felt stuck, a writer's block of sorts, but with a timer and a very brief description of the events that i want to hit, i was able to complete it. It is probable that i would have to cut some of my paper, after the first editing process, since in screen time, it is usual that 1 paper= 1 minute. This is the first page of my script:

My first type of editing that i would do is the kind of to fixing my formatting, since cutting material and dialogue is harder, at least for me, because i need to be able to get one day of not reading my script and then analyzing, to know exactly what scenes are of the most importance for my genre and tone, and which ones can be shortened or cut altogether. I have an advantage compared to someone who is completely new to writing in script form, i have some previous knowledge of how to format a script, following along on how i formatted before in my new script. However, the software that i used was First Draft, a software that is very much used by film professionals, as well as having many functions. 

However, since it only permits one moth trial before expiring , having to pay a monthly subscription after, and the current computer that i am using does not allow external downloads, i had to search for alternatives that were free. I could have used Word, but that would have been much more complicated to format, since i would have to do manually and change the size font and the font itself in each new line of writing. I was able to find Celtx, a free website that let's you have your different parts of your project , depending on what you are doing. Their design and layout, i found, to be very user friendly, obviously with less options for screenwriting than final Draft, but all the necessary for my project and less confusing when choosing options. 

From what i can remember, i would say that they are not any major formatting errors in my script, since the software is able to tell me what part of my script I'm working on, after a character, it comes their dialogue. However, i want to be able to have a good formatting throughout and revisiting the rules, is very probable that i have forgotten some rules. As well as, knowing how to include the types of shots in different scenes, since now i am more knowledgeable in that area and can and what type of shot desired. I found a Youtube video that has its way of explaining it, used as a refresher to what i can remember.

Many of the recommendations and rules helped me to realize some of the aspects that i forgot to include, as well as learning a more in depth reason for this formatting so different form others types of writing. In my scene heading, the descriptor for the place, i forgot to include the time of that the scene is taking place, i should indicate that it was "morning". I will think that my action description is good so far, i remember to capitalize the character's name as they first appear. I forgot to i
ndicate how the voice over would be heard, having to indicate that the dad is on the phone. The transition words, while the page above can only see one scene, i have different scenes to cut to, so the recommendation given have made me realize other choices, such as a match cut, for my scenes. The formatting for a montage has helped me to cut some of the time over to be shorter, since many of the long descriptions were not necessary and i saw the scenes as a montage since the first place. 

It was really liberating to learn these new ideas, it not only helped me correct my errors and mistakes, but it gave me ideas for new types of cuts and how scenes should be viewed in the film. Through this exercise, i decided to apply all of it into my script, doing my first type of editing of any type after just writing. This is what has happen to the first page:

It may not look that much of the text has changed, but i chose this page to be able to compare with my first draft, and i included some of the ideas that were described above. My next steps are: continuing editing and establishing my characters in a solid ground, listing what i may need when shooting. 

Citations:

“Celtx.” Public Media Stack, 26 May 2020, publicmediastack.com/workflow-stage/collaboration-editing/celtx/.

“Final Draft 11.” Writers Store, 2018, www.writersstore.com/final-draft-screenwriting-software/.

“How to Format a Screenplay : Screenplay Formatting 101.” Youtube, 19 Sept. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2uZ7IabVOM&feature=youtu.be.