Nifty Robot Filmmaking and Screenwriting Podcast

How many screenplays does it take to get the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop?

// April 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // screenwriting

Ok so my headline is a little crazy but it doesn’t get you out of answering the question. My headline just like the classic commercial is asking the question how long is it going to take before we get to that wonderful middle section that everyone wants to get to.

How the hell does pertain to screenwriting your probably asking. Let me tell you. A lot of young screenwriters write one feature length script and decide it’s time to pursue a real film career. Wrong.

You probably are still a pretty bad writer after your first completed screenplay. Although I’ve talked about this before I think it’s important to mention that you should set goals for yourself to achieve BEFORE you try to actively pursue a real career as a writer.

What will your magic number be?

The magic number I refer to is how many feature length screenplays you are going to write before trying to go pro. My number is six. Don’t ask me why six it’s just the number that I feel I will be satisfied with my level skill as a screenwriter.

So this means we’ve got a shit ton of writing to do. But this is a good thing. Remember everything we write is just more practice for that day someone notices us. My point in all this is that I want to ensure that I have confidence in my own writing ability before I go out there and ask an agent or a producer to have that confidence. And I think I have enough common sense and self realization to know that I am not ready as a writer to pursue that.

I need practice. I’m the first to admit that. So I’ve decided that before I really start to aggressively pursue a film career I want to have written at least six full length screenplays, a dozen or so shorts, and have shot, produced, and distributed at least ten of my own creations.

Now when I say distribute of course I’m speaking about online distribution on public sites like YouTube and FunnyOrDie. Quite honestly the internet is a great distribution method for young filmmakers because it allows us to reach massive amounts of people in a short amount of time.

These short webisodes, skits, and comedic shorts aren’t going to be distributed and shared with the public in hope of making money. But they are intended to gain attention and true audience feedback. What a great way to reach a large sample audience and evaluate their reaction and feedback to your work. Paying close attention to comments made about your videos, although sometimes difficult to read because there are so many assholes out there, is wonderful feedback into how we can improve as screenwriters and filmmakers.

Experience is what we are truly after here. Experience breeds confidence and confidence is what helps you get jobs.

So find that magic number for yourself. Be honest with yourself, don’t cheat yourself out of experience you deep down know you should be getting. Remember that this is merely a guideline for you to shoot for. If you submit your screenplay in a contest and it wins and a producer wants to buy it that’s great! Should you stop writing because you think you’ve made it? No way! Keep writing, get better, and create great stories. Do this and I guarantee it won’t be the last time you see interest in your work.

Post your magic number in the comments section below and tell us how close you are to reaching that number.

Pre-Production Tips Part 1 of 2

// April 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // filmmaking, podcast

Here is the first of a two part podcast on the topic of pre-production. This is basically some notes and tips we’ve gathered from our own production experiences. Below is a few of the topics we’ll cover over the two episodes.

Get organized as soon as possible.

• Keep a calendar and develop a production schedule (OmniPlan)
• Invest in a rolodex or group contacts together. Schedule meetings with your principal crew (Google Groups)
• Keep a running to-do list (Evernote)

Delegate!

• Assemble a good core of principal production people (i.e. DP, assistant director, PA’s)
• Trust the people you delegate responsibility to. They’ll do your job if you let them.
• Collaborate BEFORE production. Nothing halts production more than a director and DP who can’t decide on the best way to do a certain shot. Plan out things like shot sheets before hand. Again, be flexible and leave something’s for the set

Casting is key

• Find actors that are above all easy to work with. At this level of film making a difficult actor (or director, for that matter) can implode a production
• Uses asides from your script. Actors auditioning will have a better idea of the tone of the film and there will be less surprises. (Skype)
• Rehearse your actors but let them find their characters. Again at this level, the more you can delegate the better. Everyone learns from everyone else and many times a talented actor will bring (and should bring) something to the character you never would have thought of.

Be courteous and professional with everyone you deal with.

• Be prompt in responses
• Be assertive of your needs up front
• Be ready to adjust if need be
• Know when to direct and when to watch.

Leave your pre-production tips, tricks, and strategies in the comments section below. We’d love to hear your experience with some of these topics.

  [40:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Simple Tasks to Become a Great Screenwriter and Filmmaker

// April 26th, 2009 // No Comments » // filmmaking, screenwriting

In my last post I talked about how important practice is to screenwriting and filmmaking just like any other profession. Today I want to talk a bit about some of the goals and tasks I’ve put into place for myself to take those next steps to becoming a great screenwriter and filmmaker.

I wanted to set goals for myself that would push my creative limits while keeping me on the right track to creating simple yet compelling rock solid stories. In addition to that I know that the best way to get practice is by just doing it a shit load of times until I kick ass at it.

A quick side note. While writing this post I found my self distracted. Another screenwriter I follow on Twitter put up a link that looked interesting so of course I followed it. It went to an interesting post about screenwriting competitions. After reading that I followed a link to another article, then another, and before I knew it I was reading 23 Steps to a Feature Film Sale on Tedd Eliot and Terry Rosio’s screenwriting web site. Even though it’s a really good article, I’m no where near ready to put the article’s information into action. I still have a lot of writing and learning to do before I’m ready to start working professionally. I bring this up because it’s really important to not get lost and distracted in the enormous magnitude of information online these days. I’m not saying to stop learning and growing your screenwriting and filmmaking knowledge, I’m merely pointing out that learning can be a massive road block to you actually doing something. Limit your “education” time online each day and spend some real time applying what you’ve learned to your film or script.

Now yes I realize while you sit here and read my post you are doing exactly what I caution you not to do, but I’m telling you, the second you are done reading through this entire post close you’re browser, open up Final Draft, and start writing. Ok, on to some of my screenwriting and filmmaking tasks.

Spontaneous Creative Writing

So first goal for myself was to help work any sort of hints of writers block that might ever thinking of showing itself. I know that if I can develop writing as a habit it would be much easier for me to just sit down and rip out page after page of amazing content. In order to help myself reach this goal I committed to sitting down a minimum of four nights a week and write something.

Now this doesn’t have to be anything massive or substantial. What I typically do is sit down and write a quick short scene, usually no more than four or five pages. I don’t plan anything out. I don’t outline anything. I don’t write it as a short story. I just sit down and start writing.

I’ll get an idea in my head for a situation and then I just go at it. Creating and developing on the fly while my fingers viciously fly across the keyboard. My character and story just develops as I go. Now I’m not saying anything useful or good ever comes out of these writings, but that’s not really their main purpose.

But what this does do for me is allow my mind to creatively go where ever it needs to go. For me anything I can sit down and write is great practice, and of course really challenges me to be creative on a very consistent basis. You might even call this a form of improv screenwriting. I’ve found it really helpful and relaxing to be able to just write what ever I want without worrying about whether or not it’s going to be good, or whether it fits with my story or characters.

I compare it a lot to just creative brain storming in the design world. As a designer to help flush out ideas you just sketch out anything that might pop up in your head, and eventually that leads to what turns into the final product. But without that extremely important first step a lot of those final ideas would never make it to the surface.

The same goes with writing, if you don’t let those deep down buried ideas work themselves out to the surface than you could miss out on the next great story or character idea just hiding in your brain.

Bed Time Stories are Great Story Telling Practice

Ok some of you may not be able to take advantage of this really powerful next task I do, but find a way to do it anyways. I have young kids, and they really enjoy when I read them a book before bed. I’ve been doing this for quite a while until I realized why am I reading them someone else’s story when I could be telling them my story instead.

That’s right, every single night I pitch a story idea to my kids!

Since I want to use this as another sort of improv story development exercise, I ask each of my two kids to come up with a single word. My rules are whatever words they come up with, usually 6 and 7 year old boys come up with really crazy stuff, I have to create an entire story around the two words.

And since I want to leverage this time to improve and work on as many skills as possible I don’t just tell them the story but act it out, play the parts, and truly pitch this thing just like I’m standing in front of Spielberg.

So not only is this extremely entertaining for the kids, who doesn’t like a really weird goofy acting dad, but I’ve found this to be extremely beneficial to my story telling and pitching ability. Especially when I already know the story. Since I do this all improv it forces me to understand and focus on things like proper story structure, beats that continue moving you through the story, and compelling and interesting characters.

I’ve found this a really enjoyable and rewarding exercise for not only my story telling ability but also being a dad. I highly recommend you give it a shot.

What kinds of tasks do you make yourself do to improve you writing and story telling ability? Leave your favorite screenwriting exercises in the comments section and share with the rest of us. Go ahead do it now, don’t be stingy just share already!

Working With A Writing Partner

// April 25th, 2009 // No Comments » // filmmaking, podcast, screenwriting

Ok everyone this is it, the first ever Nifty Robot Filmmaking and Screenwriting Podcast episode. And trust me it is a good one! In this first episode of our filmmaking and screenwriting podcast we spend half the time introducing ourselves and talking a bit about current projects we’re working on.

After we get past all that dribble we get on to the main topic, working with a writing partner. We discuss some of the methods and writing strategies that we are exploring as a new writing team.

We encourage you to leave us some comments below. Tell us how crappy we are. It’s cool we can take it. Seriously though we really want some audience participation here people, so get commenting!

  [52:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download